The Order of the Avatar Slayer
by Tera253
Summary: Nearly 1300 years after the 100 year war, tension rises again. The world has been thrown into an international civil war; The Order of the Avatar Slayer, the group responsible for this, seeks to end the avatar cycle and rule the world with a fist of iron.
1. Chapter 1: Everything They Lived For

_PROLOGUE_

_Water; _

_Earth; _

_Fire; _

_Air; _

_Long ago, the Four Nations lived in harmony together. That all changed with the rise of Avatar Zuroc. Spreading her malice into the world, with the attempt to take it over and rule it as her own, Zuroc's forces were legendary. _

_Forming a group known as the Zuroc Sensei, Avatar Zuroc's ambition continued to grow. The fact that her predecessor had had a similar, though not as extreme, ambition only fueled it further. However, as she advanced and proceeded to conquer one place after the next, even the __Earth__Kingdom__ avatar who was Zuroc's mentor began to realize that this was much worse than expected._

_The Zuroc Sensei was elite benders and/or knife throwers. Zuroc, who was a distant descendant of a Fire Nation woman named Mai, was swift, powerful, and could often land kills without even being seen. Her warriors, the Zuroc Sensei, were just like her; and although few ever made it into their ranks, numbers meant nothing, as they were powerful marauders who let nothing get in their way._

_She was brought back to normalcy by the 21st generation of one of the Serenes Villagers; namely Kai Serenes XXI. Her malice had spread worldwide, but her main forces were infiltrating the Northern Water Tribe, which at the time was the last stronghold on the planet. The Water Tribes were the only nation that Zuroc did not technically in her control. The Northern Capital though, had been taken, and the Southern Capital was under bombardment. It was at a small village northeast of the Northern Capital though, that Zuroc met her demise._

_This Kai Serenes XXI defeated Avatar Zuroc, forcing her into submission. Her troops were defeated by the rest of the villagers. Zuroc, unlike many of the past avatars, was not aware that the Serenes Villagers, the inhabitants of the village she attacked, were all incredibly powerful waterbenders. They were the ones who defeated her._

_The peace was supposedly restored after the power-hungry avatar yielded and attempted to repair her damage, but there remained extremists who wished to end her life and the Avatar Cycle forever. This group, still known as The Order of the Avatar Slayer, exists to this day. Although they once had a good cause, wanting to defend the world from Avatar Zuroc's iron fist, the members who saw that Zuroc had truly repented disbanded the organization, as its purpose had been fulfilled. The extremists though, kept a little flame of war._

_The Avatar Guard, which was formerly Zuroc's minions, but later became known for protecting the Avatar, was still The Order's enemy. They remained together because The Order did._

_To this day, these two groups have gone on and off, neither one ever completely obliterating the other. The Avatar Cycle still goes on, but is in danger when The Order rises. This particular time though, it was different-much different._

_The parents of the current Avatar were unaware that their daughter was the avatar, and incidentally, they were members of The Order of the Avatar Slayer, being high-ranking extremists themselves._

_This was 700 years after Avatar Zuroc-there had been peace and war on and off, with some avatars doing better at protecting the world than others for whatever reasons. This time though, leadership of The Order of the Avatar Slayer fell into the hands of an ambitious warlord, w2ho, with the right planning, had the ability to pull a stunt that was the reverse of Avatar Zuroc's-he would rule the world, and The Avatar Cycle would end forever._

_The issue at hand now is that no one knows who the avatar is, for whoever he or she is, they have kept themselves well hidden..._

_...until now; Now the avatar must appear and muster those who still support them and go against this warlord-or the world as they know it-and the avatar cycle-could end forever._

***********************************************

Chapter 1: Everything They Lived For

"The Order will never prevail," the prisoner snapped at her captors as they leered at her from behind the bars, "the avatar will bring Xin Shing to his knees."

"The avatar," said one of the more polished guards, "lady, I'd suggest holding your tongue. It might get more people in trouble than you think."

"Do your worst," the girl snapped back. Even in her prisoner state, she was still a very good-looking young girl.

She was a vibrant young firebender with a long black ponytail and beautiful amber eyes set upon a strong-willed face which she had inherited from her father. And yet her eyes were her mothers, as was her nose. Her clothing had once been fine—she had been from a high class family. Yet even after all the time in prison, she retained her beauty.

"That can be arranged..." said another guard, "bring them in, boys!" he paused, and turned to the prisoner, "you're gonna regret all of this, Kimi," he chuckled,

"You can call me Kimiko then," Kimiko snapped back—after all, only her friends and family were able to call her "Kimi". To hear it from this foul stranger's mouth would fuel her fires of infuriation.

"You think so, huh?" the man taunted, "well, let's break you first. I'm pretty sure that some events that are to follow will alter you."

"Like I said," Kimiko snapped, "try your worst."

These words however, soon became Kimiko's worst enemy. A Kyoshi warrior came in to disable her—to ensure she would not be able to firebend her way to freedom. In this day and age, there was no distinctive tribe or nation that was "good" or "evil". Everything was a house divided—the Warriors of Kyoshi, the Water Tribes, the Dai Li, the swamp people, the airbenders, and even the ancient Sun Warriors and more.

It was after this that Kimiko was taken and chained to the wall of an arena. There she saw her family brought out. Her parents and her 22-year-old brother Yasu were stood up, and to Kimiko's horror, she watched them get executed.

"You foul, dirty, wretched, heartless..." but she was silenced with a guard's hand cupped over her mouth."

"If you wish to face the might of the order," he said, "then you can do it the honorable Fire Nation way. You can face me in an Agni Kai."

Kimiko said nothing, but then suddenly snapped out that she accepted. She had nothing else to live for really, now that she had just witnessed her family being murdered in front of her own eyes. She actually hoped to die. The dual commenced, and it did not take long for the man, whose name was Feng, to bring Kimiko down.

"There," she spat, "you have me defeated. Now kill me."

Feng actually raised a fireball before he paused. He suddenly caught onto Kimiko's ploy.

"That's a clever gambit, Kimi," he leered, "but that would be too nice. I think I'll just exile you like that Fire Nation prince of old, and give you a daddy's mark."

The next thing Kimiko remembered was screaming in agony and clutching the area around her left eye. She had been severely burned there, and yet the fireball that seared her flesh had not been as large as the one that had scarred Zuko of old. Her eyebrow was still intact, and her eye was still able to be opened as much as her other one. However, Feng had succeeded in breaking her. For the rest of her life, Kimiko would be a very shy woman who was hesitant to say something, as if she feared that she would have to watch her family die a second time if she did.

Granted, the guards at the jail did not make Kimiko and less shy. They'd often "try" to talk to her, and now of course, she wouldn't respond, both out of fear and hatred. However, none of them minded, particularly not Feng. In fact, he would grin.

"Its fine, Kimi," he would say, "I knew we'd be able to break you down."

However, one night, everything changed. One of the guards was suddenly taken ill, and his shift was taken over by what seemed to be one's everyday Fire Nation Soldier. This man's name was Cheng. He was a young private who had just been promoted, and he didn't mind taking the job, for he had had good combat experience. This was also why he had been moving up so fast.

As he was strolling up and down the corridor looking for things to do to bide his time, he heard sniffling from one of the cells. He peered in and saw a young girl on her knees crying. Her wrists were chained to the corners of the cell, and it looked like they kept the girl from falling on her face. Cheng actually thought she was sort of cute. His face however, was hidden behind his helmet. Later on that same evening though, he would learn to be grateful for that.

"What's the matter," he asked her, and his tone surprised her. She had been expecting something cruel or mocking, and yet something about this man's voice gave her comfort.

"It's your people," she snapped, despite his kindness, "The Order literally destroyed my life." Kimiko continued to tell him everything that happened, and by the end, although he could not see her face, he knew she was crying. He went in and gently lifted her face so he could look at hers.

When he saw her scar, he knew that this was not the same generic story he had heard from prisoners of war all the time. Suddenly Kimiko felt her wrists drop to the ground.

"What are you doing?" she exclaimed quietly,

"I'm getting you out of here," he said, taking her hand, "I've been watching from the sidelines too long what The Order has been doing. I cannot be a part of any organization this cruel."

"So it just finally dawned upon you," Kimiko snapped, but luckily Cheng was the patient type.

"Aye," he said, "so let's get you out of here quickly or they'll have both our necks. You do realize that I don't have to be doing this you know."

Cheng hoisted Kimiko over his shoulders and ran. Luckily he was light on his feet, because otherwise he wouldn't have gotten out. Somehow though, he was able to get her all the way to a small island on which his family had taken refuge. Cheng had joined the military because his family's loyalty was being questioned by The Order. He might have been on the path to redemption, but his family was not, so they had fled. There was no one safe place in particular, as The Order was something that affected all 4 Nations.

"Cheng," his mother exclaimed when he appeared in his family's little cave which they used for refuge, "what are you doing back?"

"I cannot redeem myself or our family by being part of The Order," he said, "I would rather die than side with them."

"So," said his father, "instead you bring home a half-naked girl?"

Luckily Kimiko was unconscious from fatigue, and that Cheng still had his helmet on. He set her down gently and removed his helmet.

"half-naked," he exclaimed, "father, "so what if her shoulders are showing. You can't even see any stomach."

"Cheng," he laughed, "I was just messing around with ya, my boy," come, come bond with your old father."

Cheng embraced his parents, and knew that he would have to care for them in their older age. They would normally have been fine at their age, but they had been weakened by this new life and from fear. Cheng glanced briefly at Kimiko. Her clothes were torn at the knee, she was barefoot, and her arms from the shoulder to the elbow were exposed, as well as the tips of her fingers. He noticed her palms and soles were exceptionally red, like they had been burned. Cheng's mother noticed the scar on the side of her face, which was still dark, is it hadn't yet formed fully into a scar.

"Goodness," she exclaimed, "what happened to her face?"

"The Order did that to her," Cheng replied bluntly, "and she had to witness the death of her family. I saw a girl chained to a wall forced to witness 3 other people die. They looked like her parents and an older brother or something. I left before I saw her taken down, but I can only assume this is the same person. She told me her story, and it matched what I witnessed."

"So what do you intend to do," Cheng's father asked, "You can no longer show your face there."

"Luckily," said Cheng, "I don't need to;" he paused, and picked up the Fire Nation helmet, "this is my reason" he smirked.

"Just be careful, whatever you do," his mother counseled,

"Of course, mother," he said, "I always plan these things out very carefully. In fact, as I was coming down into the corridor where this poor girl was imprisoned, I surveyed the place and knew how I could get out in case of an emergency. And then we met..."

"Well," said Cheng's father, "that's all dandy, but like your mother said, do be careful. We're a bit tired ourselves from hunger, so we're gonna try and sleep it off if you don't mind."

"Not at all," Cheng replied,

"And be nice to the girl," his father added, chuckling, and Cheng laughed at his father's joke. He had been quite the humorous fellow in his younger years. Cheng just sat there waiting for Kimiko to stir. It was dark and stormy outside, and yet Cheng had used his bending to make a fire for them inside. His mind though, was set—he was now officially against everything that he had been praised for in The Order.


	2. Chapter 2: To Join the Avatar Guard

Chapter 2: To Join The Avatar Guard

It was much later that evening before young Kimiko returned to consciousness. By then Cheng's parents had gone to sleep, and now it was just her and Cheng—even his fire had gone out, and yet there was faint lights from small torches on the walls. The storm outside the cave continued to rage, as if the very forces it contained were going to crush the cave in.

Kimiko opened her eyes and only saw blackness. She was facedown, and her face was planted between her arms, as if she were bracing for another blow. She panicked.

"Where am I," she said, sounding very frightened, "why can't I see anything? I'm blind!" she paused and tried to throw fire from her hand, but the blow from the Kyoshi warrior had been a powerful one, and her chi flow was not yet unblocked.

"Help me someone," and suddenly her hand was clasped by a strong yet gentle one—it was Cheng.

"You're okay, Kimiko," he said kindly, "you blacked out. I got you out of there without a hitch. This cave is where my parents have been hiding."

"Why can't I see anything? Am I blind?"

"No Kimi, it's just dark in here. If we make too much light we might be seen from an airship or something."

"Don't remind me about The Order of the Avatar Slayer,"

"The Order of the what,"

"Now I understand why you seemed so new to this whole matter, Cheng"

"Wait," said Cheng, "how did you know my name?"

"The same way you knew mine. I overheard it."

"Oh. That's understandable then. So, are they honestly trying to kill the avatar?"

"Of course they are," Kimiko replied, "but the Avatar Guard (that's the name of the group against The Order) has their ways of hiding him. In fact, only a very few people know who the avatar is and where he is. All the world knows is that he's in the Earth Kingdom. That is also why they set up their main operation somewhere there."

"You seem to know a lot about the matter," Cheng commented,

"My whole family did," Kimiko replied, "and that was part of the reason they and I were taken."

"What was the rest of the re—oh...?" Cheng stopped, because he noticed that tears were falling down her face. He had almost forgotten that it had been not long before this that she had been forced to witness her family killed in front of her. He decided that dropping the subject was the best idea for now.

"Kimi," said Cheng, "if you don't mind, could you tell me what you know about The Order of the Avatar Slayer?"

"Oh," said Kimiko, "I don't mind at all. They are foul, wretched, heartless people who care nothing for the world save getting Xin Shing the charge of the world. It all started a few years ago when he first came.

His 3 best friends were a master firebender, a master waterbender, and a master earthbender. I assume that he is a master airbender himself, as that would complement the others. However, I have no proof. Anyways, they were able to convince people of all sorts—Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, Dai Li, swamp people, sun warriors, Kyoshi warriors, anyone really—to join them, saying that they were going to make a better world. Together they raised an army.

From there, they took over the Fire Nation first. After they slew the Fire Lord and overpowered them, the Fire Lady fled for her own safety. They would have killed her too. I think she joined the Avatar Guard.

From there, they moved to the Water Tribes and did the same thing. The wife of the chief was actually absent at the time, and after she learned what had happened at the Fire Nation, she met up with Zeruda and the two of them went into hiding.

Next they went to the Air Nomads. However, they found neither the Head Monk nor the Head Sister. They were aware of the tactics, and they decided to stay out of them. The Order kept them alive because they figured that they would have some use sooner or later.

Last was the Earth Kingdom. Similar to an old Fire Nation plot that had been used over 1200 years ago by a Fire Princess, they took it down from the inside out. They had recruited some of the Dai Li, so it did not take long before the Earth King was dethroned and slain as well.

The Earth Queen was severely wounded and was left for dead. They threw her outside the city hoping she'd just die.

However, just like the Air Nomads were aware of The Order's approach, The Fire Lady and the Water Chief (his wife that is) were trying to get there to warn them. They were obviously late, but they found the Earth Queen outside the city and but then they knew what had happened. However, she told them that that Ba Sing Se (which was where she was of course) was where the avatar was and that they would need to single him or her out."

"How do you know all this?" Cheng asked,

"Because my family was all big-time members of The Avatar Guard," Kimiko replied, "and once I turned 18 they were gonna let me in as well."

"Why did they want to wait until you were 18?" Cheng asked,

"Because," said Kimiko, "they would be doing dangerous things. They would still inform me of what was going on, but the actual doing this was reserved for 18 and up."

"And I presume you were imprisoned since you were 17 then?"

"I haven't been 18 for very long; but yes. And then of course, a few days ago, my reasons for hating The Order were revived..."

"Of course; I... I understand."

"Well, after my remarks condemned my family, I barely spoke to anyone. You though, I seem to feel okay with talking to."

"So it was something you said that made them kill your family?"

"Aye; I said "do your worst" and they did. That phrase became my enemy."

"I... I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"well, there's nothing really that can be done about that," Kimiko remarked, "but once we can get out and about, you could go with me to join the avatar guard."

"I will certainly do that. I cannot stand for the atrocities of The Order."

"Oh, and if you have a change of clothes for me, I'd appreciate that as well. Of course, I understand if you don't..."

"Well, I do have—well, my mother has—some things she never wears anymore… let me see what I can find."

Cheng got up and went into one of the back rooms. His parents were still sleeping. They were aged and thin, and yet were able to take care of themselves and did not mind being where they were. Cheng found an old but brilliant red and gold kimono which he figured would fit her well. He came back out and handed it to her.

"Um," she stammered, taking it from him "thank you."

"Sorry there's not really a private room," he said apologetically, "I'll just... I'll just go back into my parent's room until you are done."

Kimiko turned away, her cheeks turning a cute shade of pink. A few minutes later, Cheng returned to see that the kimono fit Kimiko perfectly. Her ankles were just barely visible, and Cheng noticed that she still had the guards on her hands.

"I'm sorry I don't have a pair of shoes for you," he said,

"No matter," Kimiko shrugged, lying down, "the fact that you liberated me from prison is enough for me at the moment."

"Oh," Cheng exclaimed, "well, I'm glad I could help. I mean, I hope I've expressed enough how much I mean it when I say I will have nothing to do with The Order..."

"I'll take your word for it for now," said Kimiko, "and we'll put it to the test once we can get out of here and into where The Avatar Guard is hiding."

"So you know where they are?" Cheng asked,

"Aye," Kimiko replied, "and the only reason I just told you that is because either you're a really good actor, or you really mean it. Normally I don't talk this much, but you... you're different. And I mean; I've changed since the loss of my family..."

Cheng said nothing at first, but then spoke.

"I understand things must have been rough on you, Kimi," he said reassuringly, "and you look tired, and I could hear your cries as you were changing. It hurts for you to stand, doesn't it?"

"Yes," she confessed, "my hands and feet were burned on a semi-regular basis." And this was the obvious explanation as to why she was lying on the ground.

"Just go to sleep, Kimi," said Cheng kindly, "and when you wake up, hopefully the storm will be over and we can go from there."

"Okay," Kimiko sighed weakly, but only because of fatigue. She rolled over onto her left side, hiding the scar over her left eye. The ponytail she had once had had since been cut off as part of her exile. Despite the burns, cuts, wounds, and other signs of pain and disgrace, Kimiko retained much of her former beauty.

She rolled over again with her back to Cheng, and the scarred part of her face was up. Cheng could not help but feel sympathetic to her, and he therefore swore his allegiance to her and her cause. Her times of trouble were over, and his times of joining the right cause were about to begin. They were both looking forward to the end of the storm, for it would begin their journey as part of the elite force—To Join the Avatar Guard.


	3. Chapter 3: Fight For Your Beliefs

Chapter 3: Fight For Your Beliefs

Everything had turned around so quickly. Mulan was so surprised that her husband had been that shallow—or so it seemed. All because she was not going to join The Order of the Avatar Slayer; was her husband mad? Mulan was pondering these things and trying to get to the next earth kingdom city.

It was not very far, and her husband Ju Long had gone back to their village, to which she could no longer go, so she was heading for the next town. Everyone who met her said she looked like Avatar Yangchen of old. After all, Mulan was an airbender. She was still wondering where she—or he—had gone wrong.

"The world is changing," Ju Long told her. This conversation had only happened but a few minutes prior; "what are we going to do about it,"

"What can a young earthbender and a pregnant airbender do alone," Mulan replied, "we need to join the Avatar Guard and stop this madness"

"The Avatar Guard," Ju Long Exclaimed, "no, sweetie, we must join forces with the Order of the Avatar Slayer. They are here to correct the wrongs of this world."

"Honestly," Mulan laughed, "If you're going to play jokes on me only joke about something that's not so dark."

"Joke," Ju Long exclaimed, "that's what you think this is?"

"Aye; you honestly can't be serious about joining them."

"How can you not be?"

"Look at their name, Ju Long; "Avatar Slayer". The avatar protects and keeps balance in the world. Why would they want to take him or her out of it? It's like... it just shouldn't be done."

"Does anyone even know who the avatar is anymore, Mulan?"

Mulan had no answer for this.

"I am sorry Ju Long," said Mulan, "but I cannot and will not be a part of this treachery and madness."

"Then I no longer know you." Ju Long replied bluntly. The Order is my past, present, and future, and I will not abandon it for you."

"Will you not even abandon it for our child?" Mulan exclaimed, looking down at her stomach. She had been pregnant almost 8 months, and so she could end up delivering the child at any time.

"Our child," Mulan said, "not my child, OUR child."

"By abandoning me," he said to her, clasping her shoulders, "you have taken our child from me as well. It is no longer my concern either."

The graceful airbender stared Ju Long in the eyes, hers piercing into his, and yet they were starting to water.

"Who are you?" she asked, "you are not the man I married a year ago."

Ju Long said nothing. He turned around and began heading back to the village from whence they had come. Mulan turned to follow, but he drew a sword and pointed it at her chest—at her child.

Mulan stepped back in shock, and said nothing. Her husband had just flat-out betrayed her. She turned around and began to make her way towards the next city, which was called Fengtai. It was a decent sized city that was relatively new—at least in comparison to Ba Sing Se. It had only been around 1000 years or so; which means it had not been there during the 100 Year War.

However, there were several smaller cities and a monorail system that originated in Ba Sing Se, but the people of Ba Sing Se had since built an expansion that led to Fengtai. Mulan eventually made it there, (still with the thought of her husband on her mind) and was welcomed like anyone else would. Her bright orange clothing stood out amongst all the different shades of green, but occasionally Mulan would also see blue from the Water Tribe and red from the Fire Nation instead of just the usually Earth Kingdom green.

Mulan went into a local tavern and ordered herself some tea. She found herself sitting next to a really tough-looking woman with scraggly light brown hair.

She was wearing a lime green hat and light jacket, a deep green skirt that nearly went to her ankles, a wide gold necklace with red gems inside it, gold earrings, and there were veins of yellow in the dark gloves she wore that looked also like gold. This woman was obviously from a rich family.

However, the gold was the only giveaway, because this woman did not dress like those elegant women that were known to be rich. The woman was barefoot, had rough, tanned skin, and wore her jacket open, revealing her stomach. She had white binding over the part of her chest she generally did not display to the public.

This woman looked like she had been carved out of stone—by someone who likely normally would carve statues of men rather than women. The woman's stomach muscles showed clearly, and on one of them was a marking that looked like a jagged Z. Mulan watched her down several drinks and then belch loudly. Mulan moved an inch or two away from her.

"Oh," she muttered off-handedly, "are you afraid of me or something?"

"No," Mulan replied honestly, "but that belch hurt my ears."

"Eh," she shrugged, "it'll happen. I guess it's just me paying respects to The Order of the Avatar Slayer."

"You do realize that there are people who support that group all around you, don't you, lady?" said one of the men from behind her

"Aye," the woman replied, unfazed, "and if any of you wimps wants to try me we can take it outside where I can introduce you to your two worst nightmares—my left and right fists."

No one said anything after that, and the woman turned back to Mulan.

"Honestly, if the Order actually thinks they're gonna be able to knock down the avatar, they'll have to bring their leaders to find him themselves. He's a strong one, the avatar is."

"Do you know who she is?" Mulan asked,

"I do in fact," the woman replied, "She's a pretty powerful woman herself. The Order's gonna have a hard time fighting her."

"Wait," Mulan exclaimed, "you just said that the avatar was a man, and now you're saying that he's a woman."

"I said no such thing," the woman laughed,

"Yes you did," Mulan replied, taking a sip of her tea, "you said—"

"I said nothing of that such," the woman responded, "I haven't had enough ale for that yet. So here, buy me another one. Keep whatever is left."

Mulan received a gold coin that was incredibly valuable. These were most often seen only used by the royal families of each nation, so Mulan assumed that she might have connections with them. Whether it was the former Earth Queen or the new one Mulan didn't know, but she didn't want to take any changes. She bought the woman the drink she wanted, and received a lot of money as change.

"Are you sure you don't want your money?" Mulan asked. Being an airbender, honesty was one of the virtues she was taught."

'Nah, you can keep it, Yangchen," the woman shrugged, "if I go broke then I must have done something wrong."

"You just called me Yangchen," Mulan exclaimed,

"Well," the woman replied, "I AM drunk, and you DO look quite a bit like her. But I guess I should get your name right. What is it?"

"Mulan," Mulan replied, "and what is yours if I may ask?"

"You can call me Zak," the woman replied, "short for something else, but according to "The Order" I'm not allowed to even say my own name."

"Why is that," Mulan asked,

"Because The Order is a bunch of idiots," Zak replied, "it's The Avatar Guard that's gonna end up winning this war."

"War," Mulan exclaimed, "I didn't know it had escalated into that,"

"Well," Zak shrugged, "you probably wouldn't, being an airbender and all. They're the smart ones; staying out of all this mess."

"Thank you, I guess," Mulan shrugged,

"So is it a boy or a girl?" Zak asked.

Mulan could easily tell she was drunk. Of course, her unborn child was hard to hide being that close to birth,

"I don't know," Mulan replied, "it's a complicated story."

"Well," said Zak, "I wouldn't be telling it here. "The Order" might arrest you for it."

Every time Zak said "The Order" she got a really sarcastic tone. The owner of the tavern must have been supporting The Order because he got up and got Zak's attention.

"Excuse me ma'am," he said bluntly, "but I am going to have to ask you to leave."

Zak shrugged, and to Mulan's surprise, she stood up. She slapped a gold coin onto the table for good measure, and strode out. She had elegance to her walk, and Mulan knew that although she was rough and crude, that she knew how to properly behave. Mulan finished her tea (she had paid for it before she received it) and went outside. Luckily, Zak was just loitering outside the building, for Mulan had wanted to talk with her.

"Ah," Zak exclaimed, "my little airbender friend..."

Mulan said nothing, but sat down next to her.

"Zak," she said "I have a question,"

"Fire away," Zak shrugged,

"What do you know about The Avatar Guard?" she asked,

"I know everything about it," Zak replied, "I'm in it. I would have asked you if you wanted to join, but inside that tavern was not the place."

"So right outside the walls of the same tavern IS the right place?" Mulan chuckled,

"Aye," Zak laughed, "that be correct. Anyways, if you say yes, then we're off to Ba Sing Se. if not, then I may have to hit you—hard."

Mulan did not feel threatened at all by this. She had wanted to join them long ago, but was only now offered the opportunity. However, Zak's stupidity soon cost them. Right as they got up, they were surrounded.

"Get ready to fight," Zak muttered, "Fight for Your Beliefs"


	4. Chapter 4: Awaiting the Arrival

Chapter 4: Awaiting The Arrival

Ju Long's journey back to his village was not as pleasant as it had started out to be. He would have to go back and report to The Order members that his wife was now part of The Avatar Guard. The whole traveling scheme had just been to get her out in case she WAS part of The Avatar Guard. The city where they had lived was almost completely overrun by Order members, and so most people who supported The Avatar Guard had since moved.

"I assume that the absence of your wife indicates that she is an enemy?" one of the Order members said upon Ju Long's return to the city. They were meeting in the house of one of the members—a woman named Zhin.

"Aye," he replied, "just like I had deep roots here, she had deep roots in The Avatar Guard. I guess it's nothing less to expect from an airbender."

"Then why did you marry her?" Zhin asked,

"Because we both loved each other at one time," Ju Long replied, "and we were so young and innocent at the time that I couldn't tell her I was part of the Order. Similarly she told me nothing about being in The Avatar Guard."

"So you went for the greater good then," said a man, "you remember me, right, Ju Long?"

"Of course I do," Ju Long replied, "you are Tu-Sung, the same man who first convinced me to join The Order."

"I see that even a few years of being apart hasn't made you forget." He said, grinning, "But why did you join us?"

"Because I believe in absolute order and equality," Ju Long replied, "there is no reason why each nation cannot be equal, and there is especially no reason for one person to be above the rest of us."

"So you do indeed realize the dangers of the avatar?"

"Aye; and that is the reason I joined many years ago."

However, Ju Long had a painful memory about something Mulan had told him when he had told her that.

"The world was designed to be different," she had said, "even me and you are so different. You were raised in a big city, I was raised in a rather secluded temple, and yet here we are getting along."

"And so she becomes our enemy," Zhin declared, "she is supporting The Avatar Guard and the spirit of chaos."

"Then I guess I need to make our separation official," Ju Long muttered, "I guess I should start on that."

The whole time though, he had been thinking about Mulan. He had gotten so terse with her, and yet she was just trying to understand him. He had pointed his sword at her so that she would not follow him, for after they parted ways he knew where he wanted to go—he was going to report to The Order, like he was doing now.

"Maybe that had been a little harsh," he thought, "but I couldn't have her following me."

And yet no matter how hard he tried to justify himself, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the way he had treated her. He wasn't about to go and reconcile, but he had wished that he had thought of nicer ways to do what he had done.

"I am sorry," said the leader of the mob, "but we are not going to let you talk about our organization that way."

"Bah," Zak laughed, "just another one of their stupid rules. You airbenders don't believe in order this much, do ya?" She had turned to Mulan when she said that last part.

"No, not at all," Mulan replied gently, "in fact, it is the nature of an airbender to be agile and free—it is part of the chaos spirit within us."

"Well," said Zak, "that's really good, because truth be told, there's about to be a lot of chaos breaking out."

Zak and Mulan stood back to back, Zak taking an earthbending stance and Mulan taking one for airbending. Zak looked down and noticed that the streets they were on were covered in sand. After all, they were near the outside of the city, and outside of it was desert, and so it was likely tracked in one way or another.

"Mulan," Zak whispered, but suddenly the fight broke out with the mobsters trying to attack them. A few sword slashes and bending moves (from both sides) later, they broke free of their ranks and began to run. Luckily Mulan was not hurt, but Zak had received a nasty cut over her forehead. She didn't seem to mind though.

"That sand," Mulan exclaimed, "Zak, use your earthbending to try and bend it, and I can help you create a sandstorm."

"Brilliant plan, kid," Zak muttered, although Mulan believed her to be younger than she was. She stamped her foot, disrupting the sand on the road. Mulan then turned around and sent swirling winds towards the sand, and it not only obscured the mob's view of them, but also obscured their view of the mob. Using this to their advantage, Zak and Mulan proceeded to use a combination of earthbending and airbending to get as far away from there as they could. Eventually, they figured they were okay and so stopped. Nowadays, crazy instances of bending were so common that normal passersby no longer cared—sometimes they wouldn't even turn.

"So," said Mulan, "I guess this is where we part ways?"

"Eh," Zak muttered, "I thought you were gonna join the avatar guard."

"You meant it," Mulan exclaimed, "I thought you were drunk."

"I was drunk," Zak replied, "I'm not gonna lie. And granted, I don't think I'm completely sober quite yet, but bear with me a while longer. Anyways, the point that I'm trying to make is that even when I'm drunk I'm usually telling the truth, especially about something as important as The Avatar Guard. So if you're coming with me to Ba Sing Se I'll hitch you a ride."

"I can pay for myself," Mulan replied, preparing to get into her bag,

"Don't bother," Zak laughed, "I'm not paying for you. I'm getting us a free ride there, so it's no cash out of my pocket either."

Zak flashed some type of card to the person behind the counter and then subsequently pointed to Mulan.

"She's with me," she said, and the two of them were able to quickly find seats as the monorail prepared for departure.

Once they were inside, Mulan made her self as comfortable as an 8 month pregnant mother could.

"Wow," Zak commented, "I'm surprised we didn't get harassed by The Order or something for that. Usually they try to frame me."

"You seem to have a pretty bad reputation here," Mulan commented, "no offense or anything."

"Eh," Zak shrugged, "none taken. I do have a bad reputation here. The thing is: I can beat the juice out of anyone who tries to stop me, so no one does. The reason I ran from that last fight was because I didn't want you hurt. I may not seem like a woman of good ethics, but I am. I'm not gonna let a bunch of potentially drunk guys and girls beat up on a pregnant woman.

"Thank you for showing concern for me," Mulan said gently,

"Not a problem, kid," Zak replied, "the thing is: The Order doesn't care who you are. If you're a friend with them, they'll leave you alone. If not, they'll try and take you out one way or another. The stories I could tell about the matter could fill the Wan Shi Tong Library twice at least—it's pretty bad."

"I just have one more question," said Mulan,

"Go for it," Zak shrugged, "I don't bite."

"How old are you," Mulan asked, "I mean, you've called me 'kid' a couple of times, and it just makes me curious."

"Eh," Zak laughed, "I'm only 22. What about you?"

"25," Mulan replied, "so I guess I AM older than you."

"Eh," Zak shrugged again, "it's just a bad habit I get into, kid. Sorry if it offends you or anything."

"I'm okay," Mulan replied, "I'm just sort of surprised. You look much older than you are."

"It's a gift," Zak said off-handedly, putting her feet up, "I still say you look a lot like Yangchen—and she looked pretty young."

Mulan just shrugged.

"I guess so," she said, "it is not up to me to decide that—rather, the forces of nature which make us grow up."

Zak didn't respond. She did stretch and yawn though.

"I'm gonna get a little shut-eye," she said, "Wake me if anything interesting happens."

"I think I'm going to do the same if you don't mind," said Mulan, "I'm still a bit weary from my trip and that recent scuffle."

"Alright," Zak shrugged, "sounds about reasonable. I mean, it's gotta be tiring to carry a weight like that everywhere," she pointed at Mulan's stomach and Mulan nodded, yawning herself.

Ironically, Zak stayed awake and Mulan fell asleep. Knowing how much the city of Fengtai had been influenced by The Order as well, she didn't trust anyone, and wasn't about to let anyone come near her or Mulan.

It was rare that the airbenders were seen in places like this in this day and age, and their bright orange clothing always made them stand out, and so anyone who would occasionally pass by would always take a glance at Mulan, and also Zak because of the way she was dressed and because of the way she was built. Zak didn't care at all though.

Just like Zhin and Tu-Sung had been awaiting the arrival of Ju Long and (they had hoped) his wife, Zak and Mulan were looking forward to uniting (in Zak's case reuniting) with the avatar guard. And though it was slightly different, they too were Awaiting the Arrival.


	5. Chapter 5: The Serenity of Water

Chapter 5: The Serenity of Water

Lehran raced frantically back towards his village. He and a few friends had been off in a small arena about a mile out when they had seen some of The Order's armies heading towards their little village. Lehran had injured his knee in one of their spars a few days previous, so he still walked with a slight limp, for it had not yet fully healed.

He was a shy fellow, so when he stated to lag behind he did not call out for the others. He did not want to draw attention to himself; being shy was something that his entire family was notorious for. They had been like this for several generations.

Lehran continued running (and slightly limping) until he reached the village. He could tell that someone had been there, but the damage was minimal. However, it was eerily quiet. All Lehran could hear was the sound of the light winds blowing. Lehran scoured the village, but could not see any signs of blood or fighting. It seemed that they had been taken captive rather than slaughtered.

Lehran ran to his own hut to see if any of his family was there. Naturally, there was no one, but it was even quieter in here, for there was no wind. He heard crying, and went into one of the back rooms. In her bed, still crying, was Lehran's 18-month-old sister Altina. She had on little furry shoes and little water tribe coat, but her legs were bare. The only logical story Lehran could come up with for how she escaped the capture was that she had been asleep and that their parents had put their trust in Lehran to return and collect her. Luckily they were right.

The nearest village was the Northern Water Tribe Capital City.

Realizing what he had to do; Lehran picked up his baby sister, dressed her in some pants, and then set her in a carrier and put her on his back. He was obviously going to take her with him, for he could not leave his own sister behind.

The Northern Capital was about 4 or 5 miles away from Lehran's village. However, Lehran was a talented waterbender, and so he was able to slide himself along the ice by bending a sheet of it and gliding atop the other ice. After all, he wanted to fine out where The Order's armies had suddenly gone (he naturally assumed that since he had seen so many that they had planned an invasion) and to inform some of the tribe officials as to what had happened to his village.

When he got there he found that the city was indeed under attack. However, it seemed that most of the Northern Capital was under control of The Avatar Guard, so even the members of The Order that had been living there were being beaten out. Of particular note to Lehran was a really old woman who seemed to be overpowering a division all by herself.

She was waterbending, but also seemed to be bloodbending some of the stronger people to go against their own troops. She was doing incredibly well at first, but the longer Lehran watched, the more he could notice that she was getting overwhelmed. Lehran could tell that if she was hit she would likely not get back up. She was skilled enough so far though to not take any hits, but no one could tell how long that would last. Lehran raced down and into the battlefield, gliding along the ice and using waterbending to jostle his way through friends and foes alike, bringing up icy defenses when necessary. He eventually made it to her and fought beside her.

"Koy," she exclaimed, "What are you doing here, child?"

"Koara," Lehran exclaimed, recognizing the woman's voice, "why are you still on the battlefield? You're too old for warfare."

"I'll be too old when I die," she cackled, for because of her age, her voice was old and cracked, and was easily manifesting signs of old age. At 93, she truly was an old woman, and had the right to even call Lehran, a strapping youth of 20 years a kid.

"So can I help you at all?" Lehran asked, making a dangerous sidestep and almost dislodged Altina—lucky he had strapped her in safely. Like her family, the Serenes family, she was a very heavy sleeper.

"Just be careful with that sister of yours," she replied, using a rather nasty bloodbending technique on the enemy in front of her, "eh, these Order members really need to learn when to let down. We're clobbering them. They are no match for the South—Northern Water Tribe"

"You're from the Southern Water Tribe," Lehran exclaimed, dodging a would-be fatal blow and almost losing his footing because of his hurt knee, "you never told me that in the years we've known each other."

"You learn something new every day," Koara replied, sending a wall of ice to knock out a legion of attackers, "the tribes today are a lot more unified than they were 80 years ago."

"Really now," said Lehran, parrying an attack with a quick ice spear, and yet he obtained a small cut on his arm, "ouch; so what was different?"

"Well," said Koara, and suddenly seeing more people approaching, "hold on. Let's get our selves out of this fix."

Koara suddenly lifted up a huge ice column similar to what an earthbender would do, and then melted it into a water whip which had them both bound together. They were able to escape just in time, as enemy waterbenders had appeared that that could have put Koara's escape tactic into jeopardy. If they had gotten hold of them while her whip bound them, it would have clearly meant trouble. They were on part of the wall of the city, and they were out of the way.

"Anyways," said Koara, acting as if nothing happened, "until Xin-Shing set his own Water Chief and his wife here, things were pretty dandy. I did hear that Iresu, the good former chief's wife, survived though, and is most likely at Ba Sing Se with the Avatar Guard."

"The Avatar Guard," Lehran exclaimed, "I've only heard good things about them."

"Well," Koara chuckled, "there's not much bad to say about them, except that they're outnumbered. The avatar is kept so hidden that most people don't even know if it's a male avatar or a female avatar."

"Wow," said Lehran, "either way, you make me want to meet them even more than I already do."

"Well," Koara laughed, "all we need is a boat and some waterbenders. I happen to have one of each—an old boat that once belonged to my husband and a strapping young waterbender named Lehran Serenes."

Lehran laughed. "Okay then," he said, "Lead the way"

Koara cut through one of the residences in the walls and got back out on the other side. She led Lehran to a small boat and in front of them the oceans were clear.

"Jump in," she said, "my husband built it, and you might remember him as a fine craftsman to the end of his days."

"Aye," said Lehran, "he has helped our village many a time until that day he died. He was a great man, Koara."

"I'm glad to know that even after death that he is still loved," said Koara, easing into the boat after Lehran. She and Lehran worked together to bend the water around them to move the boat. They were far enough away (and the boat was small enough) that they were not seen. "So," she asked him "do you know whether or not that little girl is a bender or not? And what's her name if I may ask?"

"Her name's Altina Serenes," Lehran replied, smiling, "and aye, she is a bender. She likes to play with water when she doesn't have any other toys. And yet, the funny thing is, is when she drops it onto her clothes, she doesn't take it out, so I have to help her."

"Eh," Koara chuckled, "she's got plenty of time to learn." She reached out and gently stroked little Altina's hair. She had remained asleep through all of this, and was still asleep.

"So," said Lehran, "how far until we hit land again?"

"It'll be probably by sundown," Koara replied, "but after about half an hour we should be out of the danger zone."

Other than Altina waking up and Lehran and Koara getting dinner (and of course, feeing Altina as well), nothing happened on their trip. They ended up reaching a small village inn deep into the night, and luckily Altina, who had been playing with a little bit of water the whole time, was starting to grow tired again.

"Well," said Koara, "I'm beat. I need some shut-eye."

"That's why we stopped at this inn," Lehran laughed, undressing Altina into some lighter clothes. They would obviously be using them since they were no longer in the frigid North Pole.

"Eh," said Koara, "stop trying to make me remember these things. I'm old and tired, and will forget them." She paused, and then laughed.

Lehran chuckled too, and dressed himself for bed, lying down on the bed next to Koara's, his baby sister Altina at his side.

"Well," said Koara, "you're the one who wants to join the avatar guard, so I recommend you getting some sleep."

"Alright then" said Lehran calmly, and he shut his eyes. He was glad that he had run into Koara, and he was glad that his sister was safe. He still hoped that his family was safe, but he knew they were strong waterbenders, and wouldn't be shaken by this. He looked over at Koara, who was already asleep, and then back at his baby sister. It was here that he thought of just how calm the water tribes were for the most part, even their moves. He liked this about them, which was why he loved waterbending. He enjoyed The Serenity of Water.


	6. Chapter 6: Welcome to the Avatar Guard

Chapter 6: Welcome to the Avatar Guard

Lehran was roused early that next morning to find that Koara was already ready to go.

"About time you're up," she said, "come, we're wasting time."

"What are you talking about," Lehran asked, "and why are you suddenly so cranky? I thought you were the nice old woman of the Water Tribe."

"Heh," Koara cackled, "you can't take a joke, can you now, Serenes?"

"I... Lehran stammered, "I'm sorry."

"Typical Serenes spirit," Koara laughed, "Lehran, you're just like the rest of your family, even that legendary avatar, Avatar Kai Serenes II."

"Ah," Lehran sighed, "Avatar Kai Serenes II; those were the days of perfection. Those who knew her loved her, those who didn't still exalted her, and those who hated her also feared her."

"Indeed," said Koara, "and those were also the days of the legendary Fire Lady, Lady Sanaki Li Chan."

"I heard that she had a lot of descendants," said Lehran, as the two of them headed out the door. The sun was not even up yet.

"Aye," said Koara, "she did. A lot of them were blind also."

"A lot," Lehran exclaimed,

"Well, considering the scarcity of blind people," said Koara, "aye, there were a considerable amount of them. I also heard that one of her descendants was the world's most powerful firebender—the avatar's teacher; member of the Avatar Guard."

"So," said Lehran as the two of them purchased tickets for an early monorail train to Ba Sing Se, "if the 4 most powerful benders and the avatar are on our side, how come we're losing the war?"

"Because The Avatar Guard knows better," Koara replied, "what's really happening is that they're gathering in secret." By now she had lowered her voice to a whisper, despite them being the only ones in their compartment. Koara continued telling Lehran about them as the train rumbled on, making its way towards Ba Sing Se.

"They are training," she continued, "always training—even The Four Benders and the avatar. They also have a legendary weapons master who is the tactician of the group. He too trains, despite being a master in all forms of weaponry that he lays his hands upon."

"So," said Lehran, "do you know who the avatar is?"

"Here," said Koara, seemingly changing the subject, "I have a little alertness training for you to do with me; come"

Lehran, not being a man who argued, did so obediently. Koara took him to the roof of the train car. It was moving rather fast.

"From here on out," she said, "there are things like mail posts and bridges that this thing will pass by. That means we're almost there. What I want you to do are dodge them with me."

"This is dangerous," Lehran exclaimed,

"And yet all four of The Four Benders did this as children on a regular basis. The airbender would usually win by cheating."

"What about Altina?" Lehran asked,

"Altina's a Serenes, no doubt," Koara chuckled, "she's a heavier sleeper than you are. Besides, you've strapped her in nice and tight. She's probably really nice and snug right now dreaming of waterbending."

"What," said Lehran,

"she's definitely an eager waterbender," Koara replied, "she woke up crying last night as all babies will, and I comforted her using a little waterbending do tickle her little belly. She giggled herself to sleep. I assure you Lehran that she is happy. Now, here comes the first bridge. Get ready to jump it."

Lehran was nervous, but he trusted the old woman.

"What about you," he said, but Koara had already run ahead and flipped clean over it. If Lehran had not jumped a second later he and Altina would have been smashed clean off the train. Luckily he was able to use waterbending like Koara had done to propel himself over. When he landed though, he was a bit shaken. Koara just laughed,

"Wasn't that fun," she cackled, putting her arm around Lehran,

"Dangerous," said Lehran, "but I must admit, it made me feel alive."

"Good, good," said Koara, "and now you and I are going to be dodging said obstacles until one of us drops, we make it to the station, or we get to the front car. Are you in for the challenge?

Poor Lehran was certainly awake for the day, for he could not say no, as Koara said this would help him become useful for the Avatar Guard.

"So what did that do," he said wearily as they slipped back into their compartment before the train stopped. Little Altina had not even stirred.

"It put you in the face of something that could have killed you," Koara replied, "you do realize that you would have most likely died if you had failed to avoid those obstacles, do you not?"

"So what makes it different from dodging other things?" Lehran asked,

"It means you are willing to stare death in the face without backing down," Koara replied, "and to be in The Avatar Guard, you'll need to learn how to do that. I think you'll do fine."

"You really do," Lehran exclaimed,

"If you can do all of that and still carry a sleeping child," said Koara, "then aye, you'll be perfectly fine."

"So," said Lehran, "where do we go from here? I don't think I've ever been properly through this city."

"There are few who have," said Koara, "but come, follow me. We are first going to make a stop the Bender's Tavern. If The Avatar Guard is anywhere, it'll be here. Alzar and Shinon are the most likely candidates for us to find here."

They went inside the tavern. It seemed like a place that would go wild if one person was provoked, so Koara and Lehran just stood there waiting. Koara was looking around for a certain group of people. Sure enough, she found two figures—a firebender and a waterbender—sitting at the booth. The firebender was an elegant woman who looked like she had come from a high-class family. However, she was barefoot. The waterbender beside her looked like a close friend of hers, and unlike her, he seemed sober. He, however, looked like he was from a very low class family. The expensive drink in his hand indicated that the firebender probably shared money with him.

"That's them alright," Koara whispered, "Alzar, Maiden of Fire, and Shinon, Lord of the Water"

Lehran stared in awe and wonder. However, Alzar's ears perked up right as Koara has said her name. She spun around in her chair so that she was facing them. Lehran noticed that her eyes appeared glazed—like they had less color than a normal firebender's. Nonetheless, she approached Koara, her eyes seemingly fixed on her.

"You" she said, "you said my name, didn't you?"

"Aye," said Koara, "and you, my fair firebending friend, need your good friend Shinon to take you home right now before you start a brawl."

"Alzar," said a voice, "Shinon," apparently there were Order members here too, and they seemed drunk as well. In fact, it seemed that Alzar and Shinon were by themselves.

"Would ya like some help, Shinon," Koara asked,

"Nah," he said, "Alzar won't even need me."

"We'll see about that, won't we, lady?"

"Funny you should say that," said Alzar, forming fists. She suddenly reached back behind her and pulled out an elaborate sword.

"Hey," the bartender shouted from behind her, "no weaponry in my bar. Either put it down, lady, or step out."

"Fine," she said, handing it to Shinon, "hold this.

The next events were rather confusing. Alzar swung a roundhouse kick towards the nearest man, but her intercepted Alzar's foot and held it there. Luckily the greatest firebender in the world was not about to be deterred by something that small, so the instant her foot was caught, she launched herself into the air with her other foot, hitting the man in the face. However, he kept a tight grasp on Alzar's left foot, so when he went down so did Alzar.

To the disappointment of the men, Alzar was wearing a pair of pants underneath her robe, which had flown up when she hit the ground. However, Alzar was not on the ground long. She jumped onto her hands, sending a spinning kick towards two more offenders. As she was about to return to her feet, they were both suddenly grabbed.

"Gotcha now, little lady," he chuckled and he yanked Alzar upward and slammed her onto the table.

"Get your filthy hands away from my feet," she snapped, for although she was barefoot, her feet were well kept. They were actually pretty large for a woman as well.

Naturally, the man did not comply, so he was answered with flames appearing from her feet. The man recoiled, and Alzar used this as an opportunity to dash for the door. She punched, kicked, and threw lightning at anyone who got between her and the door, and told Shinon to lead the way to the Avatar Guard's base while losing their enemies in the meantime.

"You two," said Shinon in his cold voice, "help me make a wall of ice between those buildings,"

Shinon's voice may have been cold, but it was more of a cold voice that didn't speak very much; rather than a hostile one. The three of them (Alzar was a firebender) formed a huge wall of ice between two buildings, and they took off, Shinon leading them to the Avatar Guard's base. They knew Koara would not just pick up a random stranger, and this man Lehran looked friendly enough.

Within a few minutes they were inside the headquarters of the Avatar Guard's base. It was impossible to pass by unless a person could demonstrate a powerful enough bending move on the door. So far the only people able to open it were the avatar and The Four Benders. Upon entering, Koara turn to Lehran, who was carrying a now very excited Altina on his back,

"Lehran," she said, "Welcome to The Avatar Guard."


	7. Chapter 7: The Traveling Companions

Chapter 7: The Traveling Companions

Long years of military service had been kind to Royota. He was well-known anywhere he went, and any of the young new recruits for the Earth Kingdom military would always salute "The Great General Royota" every time he would come in. he was a powerful earthbender and was a hardened general who had seen many wars in his days.

However, he was now entering his later years, but his love for the military had not been shaken. He was going in to ask if he could extend his service rather than retire.

However, as he was waiting, he could not help but overhear what was going on in the next room. He overheard something about his old Marshal—the man who had been over him since he was a young private. He heard that he had been killed by an assassin. He said nothing, but continued to listen. At first he thought that these men were mourning his loss, but after listening a little more he learned that they were some of the conspirators, and that the new Marshal was a member of The Order of the Avatar Slayer. The Order had just taken over his division. At once he changed his mind about wanting to extend his service. He planned to retire instead now. He was able to do so surprisingly without any difficulty, and he was discharged with full honors.

The relationship between these two groups—The Avatar Guard and The Order of the Avatar Slayer—was difficult to understand. The people would interact with each other peacefully often times, but sometimes brawls would occur. Certain divisions of each nation's military belonged to The Order, while others belonged to The Avatar Guard. While the world claimed to be united, it was clear that there were rifts.

Surprisingly, it did not usually take much for a person to switch sides. Others did it because they felt threatened, or were forced. Royota was one of the lucky ones. Now that he was out of the military though, his thoughts turned to Ba Sing Se, where The Avatar Guard was re-gathering its forces in subtlety. He intended to go there, and because of his constant traveling nature which came from him being in the military, he was able to get what he needed easily enough. Luckily he had enough assets that he was able to afford decent homes in several different Earth Kingdom cities.

Royota was always a modest man. He went north to one of the cities only a few miles out from Ba Sing Se. he would have passed through it, but he saw a sign that was announcing the semifinals of an Earth Rumble tournament. The two competitors were prestigious ones that Royota had heard of from distant lands. One was called The Mountain Crusher, while the other was named The Chi Slayer. This seemed to draw Royota's attention, and so he was able to get himself a seat in the competition, which started slightly over an hour after his arrival in the city. The crowds were roaring and going wild. These two fighters must have been prestigious champions.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer boomed, "welcome to the 14th division of the Earth Rumble CLXXII semifinals!"

He paused to hear the crowds roar louder before continuing.

"Fighting today in the first corner, we have our very own Mountain Crusher!" the crowds again went wild as a huge man stepped out.

The man was at least 7 feet tall. His arms were about as big as Royota's legs—luckily Royota was old otherwise even he, an old earthbending legend, might have been ashamed. However, Royota observed that this man didn't look like the type who had a strategy, but rather just overwhelmed his opponents with brute force. No one said you needed a strategy to win an Earth Rumble tournament. Royota watched as the man grabbed an enormous slab of rock and snapped it in two like a twig. Royota was looking for a certain Earth Rumble champion, but the name of the earthbender he was looking for slipped his mind.

"In the 2nd corner," said the announcer, "a traveler from a distant land, we bring you: The Chi Slayer!"

The Chi Slayer was almost like a joke in comparison to the other man. It was a girl—a Kyoshi warrior to be exact. They were notorious for being chi-blockers in this day and age, and she had a light-footed step, despite all her heavy gear. She bended a huge column of earth upward and began launching jabs at it in various locations, sending dust flying. By the time it had settled, there was a statue of a beaming Kyoshi warrior—the girl herself. Royota looked at her. She appeared to be very young, and yet she was a possible champion.

He watched as the announcer declared the beginning of the match, and just as Royota had suspected, The Mountain Crusher was just recklessly smashing rocks. It seemed like a stupid tactic, but it kept The Chi Slayer on her feet. Huge rocks that were almost like mountains were flying into the stands, which of course was why the front rows were empty. The man was smashing them, not really paying attention to where The Chi Slayer was, but rather just wondering what direction she was in. they continued fighting until suddenly The Chi Slayer disappeared. Seconds later, she was behind The Mountain Crusher.

"What's the matter," she leered, "can't even hit a girl?"

It seemed like a petty statement, but The Chi Slayer had intended it to be just that. It stirred up her opponent, who swung his arm at her. She effortlessly dodged it, and then struck him at a pressure point, disabling his arm. With one arm down, she was easily able do quickly block the chi flow of his other three limbs.

It seemed that he had lost. However, as he was falling, he made a powerful swipe with his massive arm towards her, knocking her clean off the arena. In fact, she hit against the opposite wall so hard that she actually bounced back. Half of the audience did not know what was going on. The girl had used a pair of knives to stab into the walls of the arena while she got her vision straight again and then using earthbending she brought herself back up. She had not lost, for she had not ever hit the ground. Therefore, the fight continued. One slight movement from the foot of The Chi Slayer sent The Mountain Crusher off the arena. Since his chi was blocked he couldn't earthbend himself back up, (and Royota assumed that he would have too considering he was still conscious) so he fell to his defeat.

This was the sort of person Royota wanted to talk to. Because of his status in society, he was able to go behind the scenes as The Chi Slayer was cleaning up. He knocked on the door and heard a "come in" from the other side. He went in, but was in for sort of a surprise. She was cleaning her own wounds, but was in her undergarments.

"Pardon me," said Royota, about to step out

"What," the woman shrugged, "surely you had a wife, right?"

"I, um, yes I did. What's your point?"

"So surely you've seen a woman undressed before."

"I have, but in this case it doesn't make me feel proper."

"Well, you wanted to talk to me, so here I am; take it or leave it."

"Do you know who I am?"

"You're the Great General Royota; who DOESN'T know you?"

"Really now; I didn't know my fame was that widespread."

"You learn something new every day, general," the girl shrugged, putting the finishing touches on a wound on her shoulder,

"So," said Royota, "what is your name?"

"My name's Taki, "the girl replied, "I'm 21 in case you were wondering."

"I see," Royota replied as Taki got back into her uniform, "well, there are two reasons I came here. One of them was to see your performance"

"Oh," said Taki casually, "and what was the other one?"

"Well, you do know what The Order of the Avatar Slayer is, correct?"

"Who doesn't know about them," Taki shrugged, "it's the avatar guard I'm after. However, I gotta go to Ba Sing Se for my finals tournament."

"Wow," said Royota as if this just somehow magically fit in with his plans, "perhaps you can join the Avatar Guard at their headquarters after your match."

"They have a headquarters," Taki exclaimed, as if the concept had never occurred to her. In this day and age, many people just didn't know about the affairs of either side, and so they would often times just join the first person who came to them, as to avoid confusion.

"Yes," said Royota, "they do have a headquarters. And it's the strong people like you that we could use."

"Hold," said Taki, "you're just trying to use me, is it?"

"Not at all," said Royota, "just trying to encourage you to join the side that is fighting for the better cause."

"How do you know your side's that side," Taki asked,

"Look at the other side's name," said Royota, "Avatar Slayer—what harm has the avatar ever done to the world?"

"Good point," Take shrugged, "I guess I'll find out if it's any good after I get to Ba Sing Se then, huh?"

"I suppose so," Royota replied, "The Avatar Guard does not force anyone to join their ranks. They give them the choice and let them decide."

"Sounds like a nice policy," Taki shrugged, "but hey, I guess we should get going—or, I should. I need to get there by tomorrow morning."

"Well I actually probably should have been there about by now, but I chose to stop for your tournament."

"I guess we'll go together then," said Taki,

"I'm fine with it," said Royota, "I always like someone to travel with."

And with that, these two unlikely figures became later known as The Traveling Companions.


	8. Chapter 8: An Extraordinary Find

Chapter 8: An Extraordinary Find

Royota and Taki traveled to Ba Sing Se with no further difficulty. As they were going through the city, they ran into a pair of firebenders. One looked like an everyday soldier, and the other was a young girl whose left eye was scarred.

"Oh," Royota exclaimed after nearly knocking the girl down. He was a burly man himself, and the little scar-faced firebender girl was thin from her time in prison. They would later meet each other again, but right now they knew nothing about each other.

"My apologies," he said, extending his hand, "my name is General Royota, by the way. What is yours if I may ask?"

This girl, being very shy, did not answer. This was the same girl who was rescued by a fire nation soldier from prison. This duo was the selfsame Cheng and Kimiko that had escaped only a few days earlier. Their trip to Ba Sing Se had not been eventful in any way like the trips the others had made, which was probably lucky for them,

"Her name's Kimiko," the man replied, "and my name is Cheng. Who might you be," he stopped, pointing at the young Kyoshi warrior behind Royota.

"My name's Taki," she said, "you seem like a nice guy to care for that girl the way you're doing so."

"What do you mean?" Cheng asked,

"Never mind," Taki chuckled, "what I meant was that she's clearly not related to you. You must be a nice guy for taking her in like that."

Kimiko said nothing. She was still too shy to even make a comment.

"Um, thanks," Cheng shrugged, "well, it was nice meeting you, General Taki, and you too, Royota." He saluted Royota and smiled nicely at Taki. Taki grinned back, and they were on their way.

Taki and Royota continued walking through the city, taking only a quick break for some lunch and tea. Right as they were finishing up, they heard a rather large commotion outside. They finished up, paid for what they had purchased, and raced out to see what the commotion was. They saw several Dai Li agents, but could not see any culprits. They were fighting each other. There was a young Fire Nation girl who looked to be about 14 years old sitting on a crate a few yards from where the commotion was, swinging her feet idly. One of her hands was sticking out as if she was feeling towards the Dai Li, despite them being behind her. Royota noted that she was barefoot.

"Excuse me, little girl" he said, "but do you know what's going on over there; Pardon my rudeness, if you will"

"Oh, it's okie," the little girl giggled, "most of the time people are rude to me for other things. Anyways, from what I heard and felt, two men were talking about killing someone, and then two Dai Li came in and arrested them. They fought back, and so the Dai Li did too. Then, Dai Li that are serving The Order came in and began fighting the Avatar Guard Dai Li, and that's where it is right now. I'll tell you if I feel anything else."

"Wait," said Taki, "what do you mean by feel?"

"Well," said the girl, "I'm blind. I "see" with Firebending. My name is Sanaki Li Chan—I'm a descendant of the legendary Fire Lady who had the same name. She was blind too."

"Well," said Taki, "I suppose we should go break that up—or try. You wanna come with us, kid?"

"I'm just a little kid," she replied, "I think I'll just stay here, Okie?"

"Alright," said Taki, and she and Royota raced in to intervene. Right as they were about to intervene though, a pair of benders appeared in the middle of the ring, and halted the fight immediately. One of them was a ratty-haired earthbender, whose hair was black. His arms were rough, and he looked to be rather strong. The other man who landed was an airbender, his distinct blue tattoos being a giveaway. He had brown hair, but seemed gentler than his earthbending friend.

"General Royota," the airbender exclaimed, "wanna give us a hand here?"

The Dai Li turned around and faced Royota, Taki, and the little blind girl. Royota and Taki readied their stances, and suddenly the little firebender girl jumped in with them.

"Hey," she said, "they didn't do anything wrong, and neither did the Dai Li you two are attacking. There's no need to arrest anyone."

"What about the two conspirators," said one of the agents,

"They got away while you were bickering," Sanaki replied, "so why doesn't everyone just go their own ways and act like nothing happened. You all can kill each other in the battlefield. Don't dirty your name here in the city; otherwise you might lose respect from the people."

The Dai Li said nothing, and the ones serving The Order went one way while the ones serving The Avatar Guard went the other way.

"Welcome back, Royota," said the earthbender, embracing his old friend, "I see you've got a couple of friends tagging along. Who are they?"

"This is Taki," said Royota, pointing to the Kyoshi warrior, "and this little girl said her name was Sanaki Li Chan."

"Li Chan, is it," The airbender exclaimed, "hello, little girl. Do you know who Alzar is?"

"Alzar," Sanaki paused, "I think I've heard that name. She's the firebending legend, isn't she?"

"Aye," he said, "that's her. And she's usually with that waterbender named Shinon, correct?"

"Yeah," Sanaki replied, "I think that's his name.

"Well Sanaki; Taki," said the airbender, "my name is Aiku. I'm the airbender of that group, and Zinjamyn here is the earthbender." He pointed at the earthbender when he said this.

"So what are you two doing out at a time like this?" Royota asked,

"Well," said Zinjamyn, "we were finding our buddy Zak. Turns out she brought an airbender with her that looks like she'll become a mother in a month or so."

"I take it, Royota, that these girls seemed interested, no?" said Zinjamyn,

"Taki did," Royota replied, "I just barely met this little girl."

"Well," said Aiku, "let her follow us. There won't be harm in that."

"Except she's clearly not 18," said Zinjamyn, "which means she'll have to stay back when we fight."

"Who says we're fighting right now," said Aiku, "just let her come anyways. We wouldn't want a cute little kid like this to be left behind." He picked up Sanaki and cradled her, making her giggle.

"Well," said Taki, "I've got an earth rumble tourney to practice for tonight, so let's go now to give me some time."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Zinjamyn shrugged, and a few minutes later they were in the secret headquarters of The Avatar Guard. Everyone who had been gathering there was there—Zak, Mulan, Shinon, Alzar, Cheng, Kimiko, Lehran (and Altina), Koara, and now they were joined in their numbers by Royota, Taki, Sanaki, Aiku, and Zinjamyn, the latter two of which were simply reuniting. Taki looked around and noticed Cheng.

"So," she said, pulling him aside, "this was where you were heading too?"

"I guess so," Cheng shrugged, "I didn't expect you to meet me again."

"It's a gift," said Taki, "and perhaps you might be able to persuade me to remain here." She raised her eyebrows.

"Maybe," said Cheng, smirking back, "so are you going to go to that Earth Rumble Championship tomorrow?"

"Of course," said Taki in response "I'm one of the competitors."

"Really now," Cheng exclaimed, having only heard about Earth Rumble from various prisoners or earthbenders who would pay visits to the Fire Nation, "what is it like?"

"Well basically," said Taki, "it's just a bunch of guys chucking rocks at each other. It's really simple actually."

"Alright," said Cheng, "then I guess I'll see you out there."

Taki smirked, and strode off. A few seconds later, Zak stepped up to Cheng. She was smirking as well.

"Looks like you know how to score the ladies," she laughed, hitting him

"What," Cheng exclaimed,

"Don't tell me you didn't notice it," Zak said, "she was totally flirting with you. It looks like it's time for good old Avatar Zakura to set things right in the situation.

"Hold it," Cheng stopped, his jaw dropping slightly, "YOU'RE the avatar?"

"Um, duh," Zak shrugged, laughing, "What were you expecting?"

"You don't seem like the avatar," Cheng said skeptically.

Zakura's response was 4 swift movements, one for each element.

"Avatar Zakura of the Earth Kingdom at your service," she laughed,

"Anyways, tomorrow evening you two are going out to a nice fancy place of her choosing, is that understood?"

"Um," Cheng stammered, looking at Zakura's fists, "alright."

Zakura laughed and walked off.

"She's always like that," said a calm voice, and Cheng turned to see Mulan standing in front of him.

"Just let her have her fun," said Mulan, "she is the avatar after all."

"Hm," said Cheng, "I guess I should get to know some of you people better. I feel left out of the loop."

This however, did not take as long as Cheng had thought. By that evening, everyone knew everyone else, including Sanaki Li Chan. She claimed not to be part of the group, but Royota, Koara, Lehran, Aiku, and Mulan all noted that they saw her training at various times, particularly with Alzar or Kimiko. She was also training with Taki. Her swift moves kept Taki on edge, and helped her improve her dodging skills.

"Don't worry, Taki," said Sanaki in her sweet little voice, "I'm sure you'll win the championship with no effort."

Taki smiled and ruffled Sanaki's hair. Sanaki had long, wavy black hair—A LOT of long, wavy black hair. She giggled. They truly were all on the same side here. They were all equal; even Sanaki Li Chan the little prodigy. She had been An Extraordinary Find.


	9. Chapter 9: The New Life They Had

Chapter 9: The New Life They Had

The relationships between these various benders continued to grow. There were other Avatar Guard members that would come and go, but these "new recruits" were being trained by the masters themselves. Even Avatar Zakura was training, despite her wishes.

"What makes you think I need more training, Alzar," she asked her, as she wanted her to get more firebending experience in,

"Because no matter who you are," said Alzar in response, "you'll never be as good as me, you got that?"

"Sure," Zakura shrugged, "but with little miss "right fist" I won't need to be." Zakura laughed and sent a punch straight into Alzar's face; knocking her several feet back right into the stone wall, which cracked upon her impact. If she had been using all her force, Alzar's face would have been permanently altered. Luckily she was going easy.

"She does bring up a point," Aiku said, trying not to laugh, "no need to be able to out bend someone you can beat up."

"GEH," said Alzar, trying to wipe the blood from her forehead out of her eyes, "That's NOT the point. There's gonna be a time where "little miss right fist" isn't gonna be able to reach "little mister Xin Shing", eh?"

Sanaki, who did not like to hear people be mean to each other, stood in front of Zakura with her arms crossed. Aiku turned her a little so she was facing him. It turned out that she was 17 years old, and yet still had the cuteness a little child would bring.

"Say sorry to Alzar," she said firmly. She was not only saying this because of her ethics, but also because they had learned that she and Alzar were both descendants of the same Sanaki Li Chan of old.

Zakura just laughed and flicked Sanaki's jaw. This accidentally jerked her backwards and she cut her mouth. It was not that Zakura was too strong (maybe that had something to do with it) but Sanaki, like her namesake, was somewhat fragile. She felt her mouth, and her right hand became stained in blood. She began to cry. Like the Sanaki of old, she was sensitive, and would often cry a lot. Mulan, who was sitting calmly a ways back, raced up to comfort her.

"You poor thing," she said, picking her up and trying to clean the blood from her mouth; she turned to Zakura.

"You monster," she snapped, "How dare you hit a little blind girl."

Zakura actually looked ready to shrug and hit Mulan too, but it seemed that her old ethics of not wanting to let a pregnant woman be harmed came back at her.

"Honestly," Zakura shrugged, "if she is gonna whine about that, just get her out of here, alright?"

"Look at her mouth," said Shinon, stepping up, gently taking Sanaki from Mulan and telling Mulan to sit down, "she's getting blood all over the place. You decked her hard, and you know that that will make unsuspecting people cut open their jaw."

Zakura looked defensive.

"Gee," she said, "why not just throw me out now? I'm SUCH a bad person for showing my old teacher and a little blind girl what THE ORDER will do to them with no further hesitation. Hmm, and I also suppose that a little bit of... 'Killing' will go on?"

"That's not the point," said a voice from behind them. It was Ryuka, and he was holding a blade. He jumped off from the tier he was on and landed by Zakura, swiping her hat. Luckily Zakura's hair was decent-looking, and she didn't care too much either. She simply wore that hat out of habit, so she didn't react at first like Ryuka had hoped.

"The point, Avatar Zakura," he said, "is that you can't just go waltzing around hitting your own friends just because you're stronger than them. They have done a lot for you, and so a little respect for them would be nice. And before you pull the "these newcomers haven't done anything for me" gag, I'll tell you right now that they already have.

By going against the group "The order of the AVATAR SLAYER" they are helping to protect you as well."

"Protect me," Zakura laughed, "Ha, Ryuka, that's a good one."

"Indeed it is," he said, whipping out a knife and holding it to Zakura's throat. He had moved so quickly that even Alzar had not noticed it coming. He jerked her head back and began running it back and forth in the middle of her throat. The knife had tiny serrated edges, so it was starting to penetrate the flesh on Zakura's neck, leaving a fine stream of blood trickling down her neck. None of the others reacted because they were either somewhere else (like in the case of Taki, Lehran, Royota, and the likes) or knew what was going on.

Zinjamyn showed up, and smiled at what he saw.

"So," he laughed, "Zakura's finally getting "the warning," eh?"

"Let go of me," Zakura hissed, and yet although she could have easily decked him and gotten away, she didn't do anything."

"Everyone needs it, Zinj," said Ryuka, "I think Ike handled it the best though ("Zinj" was referring to Zinjamyn of course, and "Ike" was Aiku's nickname that Ryuka used)"

"That's true," Zinjamyn chuckled, and he sat down to watch. He was accompanied a few seconds later by Koara.

"Aye," she said, nudging him, "Zakura finally got Ryuka's warning?"

"Aye, Koara," Zinjamyn replied, "she's gotta learn somehow."

This was deeply wounding Zakura's pride, but it seemed the more she waited, the more blood Ryuka was spilling of hers. It ran down, stopping against the gold necklace she had around her neck and starting to accumulate there.

"Get off me," Zakura grunted, but she didn't move. Her pride was getting badly wounded from this treatment.

"On two conditions," said Ryuka, "first, apologize to the little blind girl and give her a hug; second, apologize to your firebending teacher and thank her for putting HER time into putting up with you and being willing to teach you her firebending secrets."

Zakura almost looked hesitant, but the blade was cutting deeper into her throat, back and forth, little by little. She knew he wasn't going to let it do any fatal damage, but to progress so slowly was torture.

"FINE," she roared, and Ryuka let up.

"Come here, Sanaki," she said, and embraced the child, "sorry about your jaw, alright? It was just a joke. If you feel my hand coming, jump back. It'll make ya stronger."

"Okie," Sanaki replied happily, and she embraced Zakura again before skipping happily off to go and play, probably with Kimiko, a fellow firebender her age. Sanaki's kindness was even able to out-prioritize Kimiko's shyness.

Zakura stood up, grabbed Alzar by the hand and lifted her up.

"Look" she said, "sorry about hitting you that hard. You know me though, come on, I'm probably the cockiest avatars to ever live."

"Ooh, you got that right," said Alzar, who still seemed slightly angry about the whole incident, "I still don't know what drove me to the point of insanity where I actually agreed to teach you."

"I do," said Ryuka, "because you wanted the avatar to be able to overthrow Xin Shing—just like all the rest of us here do. Avatar Zakura is only human, Alzar. She's going to have faults just like you and me. Nobody is perfect."

"Fine," Alzar said, spitting blood, "I'll forgive you, Zakura, but don't do it again or I might have to retaliate.

Zakura opened her mouth to say something, but Ryuka grabbed her arm. She turned to face him, and he shook his head. Zakura held her comment for the time being, and then went with Zinjamyn to practice more of her earthbending skills. It just went to show how powerful of benders The Four Benders were if even the earthbender was still teaching an already fully realized Earth Avatar.

Everyone in the group was training until around mid-day, where they would take a break for the rest of the day (unless others wanted to continue). Mulan took a nap, Sanaki and Kimiko were playing a little game with a fireball, Royota was conversing with Koara about Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe affairs, Lehran was keeping Altina entertained with some small waterbending techniques, The Four Benders were just ambling around doing as they pleased, Avatar Zakura was lazing around, stopping every now and then to take a nap, Ryuka was off in some corner of the hideout clanging on something—making weapons; and Cheng and Taki had taken Zakura's advice and were going to go out for the evening. Zakura dropped in on Cheng as he was fixing up his hair and making sure everything was perfect.

"So," said Zakura, "you two really DO have a crush on each other?"

"Well," Cheng stammered, "I guess to an extent we do. But it sort of started this morning after I saw her win her Earth Rumble Tournament."

"Ah," said Zakura, chuckling, "so THAT'S where you two were. I would have gone, but I was banned ages ago."

"For what," Cheng asked,

"My own reasons," said Zakura, "you have fun with Taki. Oh, and keep in mind that I was actually joking when I suggested that."

Nonetheless, Cheng was dressed in a fine Fire Nation suit, and Taki in a fine blue-green dress colored like her Kyoshi uniform. He took her hand and the two of them left the hideout together. They had a nice, slow, graceful walk, and Taki leaned her head against Cheng's shoulder. They left, and Zakura developed a smug grin on her face, before stopping and asking Ryuka for some weapons training to make herself look more innocent. Those who were newcomers to The Avatar Guard's hideout soon learned and enjoyed The New Life They Had.


	10. Chapter 10: An Inseparable Bond

Chapter 10: An Inserperable Bond

Luckily for Taki and Cheng most of the members of The Avatar Guard slept in late. However, Sanaki, Mulan, Aiku, and Lehran were awake and wandering. Unfortunately for them, so was Zakura.

"Now," Zakura whispered to Sanaki as she saw them coming, "I'm going to hold your hand when I ask them the questions. If you feel them lying, squeeze my hand, alright?"

"Okie," Sanaki giggled, and Sanaki put her left hand onto Zakura's right. Upon their arrival, Zakura and Sanaki were waiting.

"So" said Zakura, "how was your date,"

"Why do you want to know—" Taki began, but Cheng lightly nudged her to silence her. That was not going to be their tactic.

"Well," said Cheng, "it went on longer than we thought, and so we decided to stay the night somewhere as opposed to trying to walk home in the dark." Sanaki pulled at Zakura's arm.

"Zakura" she said, winking at her, "something is missing." This meant that Sanaki was able to tell that Cheng was telling the truth, just not the whole truth. Zakura smiled,

"I'm sorry about that, sweetie," she said, trying to look cute—luckily she had made up with Sanaki and the two of them became good friends—surprisingly, overnight. Zakura then turned to Taki.

"Sounds like you two had some real nice fun..." she smirked, making the movement of one lifting up a woman's dress. She was only making things up, but Taki took the defensive.

"Fine," she said, "maybe we made out, alright?"

"Maybe," said Zakura, "is that a yes or a no?"

"No," Taki replied, and Sanaki immediately squeezed Zakura's hand.

"I can feel you lying," she giggled,

"Fine," said Taki, "yes we did. Are you happy now?"

"Yeah," Zakura shrugged, and walked off, Sanaki following, but no longer holding her hand. They could hear Zakura chanting "Cheng and Taki, sitting in a tree..."

Taki growled, but Cheng put an arm on her shoulder.

"Relax," he said, "I mean, I guess you don't have to if you really don't like me, but that's just my thoughts."

"Fine, fine," Taki grumbled, "but that Zakura woman... she thinks she owns the place. Her excessive arrogance gets on my nerves."

"Maybe if you were here last night you would know how to earn her respect." Said a voice, "She respects certain people here, for she knows that they are superior to her"

"Sanaki," Cheng exclaimed, "is that you?"

"No," said the voice, "it... its Kimi,"

"What are you doing here, Kimi," Cheng asked, and he made a motion to Taki for her not to say anything—Kimiko was very shy and to have her talking was a feat.

"I heard her talking bad about Avatar Zakura," she said, "and I... I don't like that. I don't like it at all."

"Well, Kimiko," said Taki, "sometimes even the avatar's a jerk. No one's perfect. Remember that."

Kimiko said nothing, and Taki's words had hurt her because of her shyness. She turned away and ran.

"Kimi," said Cheng, "don't run, come here,"

"So you've got something going on with her," said Taki,

"No," said Cheng, "but she's my friend. I saved her from prison."

"Fine," said Taki, "I'm gonna get into some normal clothes; see you around, Cheng." And with that, Taki strode off. Cheng meanwhile, followed Kimiko, but she was too shy to say anything. She found Sanaki and the two of them began playing a game. Sanaki said that Kimiko didn't feel like talking right now, so Cheng backed away. He got back into casual attire and when he came out saw Royota, Koara, Zinjamyn, Shinon, Aiku, and Taki in the "lounge" area.

The base of The Avatar guard was enormous (and was obviously underground). It was a very large circular central area which was the "lounge", and there were 4 different levels, with lots of different rooms. The big circular main room was about 80 feet high and about 300 feet in diameter, so it was a large place. Royota was off by himself, and so Cheng went to talk to him. He asked him how to approach Kimiko, as he had seen them talking before.

"You just need to find out what sort of things she values," Royota replied, "she's a sensitive little girl. The poor thing watched her family die in front of her, and then she got burned like that. I'd be scarred more than physically as well if that were me."

"That's it," Cheng exclaimed,

"Pretty much," Royota replied, "a lot of people here are really friendly if you give them a chance."

"Alright," said Cheng, "I'll remember that. Thanks, General Royota."

Everyone still called him "General Royota" because he had been that well-known. And of course, the nations were no longer divided (at last, not divided from each other) so everyone had respect for everyone else.

Cheng sat next to Taki, who was wearing a casual long-sleeved white and green dress and soft dark green shoes that just covered her feet. She got up, stretched, walked around a little, and then sat back down. She made no noise whatsoever, and since everyone else was reasonably quiet, a person was able to hear anything.

Another figure appeared, walking towards them. She was barefoot, and wearing a lavender kimono that seemed large on her. Her hair sort of went into her face—this was Alzar of course.

"Hey," Aiku chuckled, "the princess awakens,"

"Eh," Alzar shrugged, kicking back and putting her feet on one of the tables, "that's Zakura, and she just went to bed. She woke me up."

Shinon smirked, "well Alzar," he said, "its mid-day just about. I was wondering if you were alive or not."

"You too," said Alzar, "wow. You three all of a sudden care about me."

"Don't be ridiculous, Alzar," said Zinjamyn, "we've been together since we were young children. What makes you think that?"

"Well," said Alzar, "it was Zakura again. She drives me INSANE! Why did "I ever volunteer to teach her firebending?"

"What did she do this time," Aiku asked,

"She woke me up," said Alzar, "by drenching me with her waterbending—and I'm pretty sure that it had been ice moments before."

"You look dry to me," said Shinon, feeling slightly guilty, as he was Zakura's waterbending teacher;

"That's because she used bending to extract it as well," said Alzar, "and it's a good thing she did, otherwise I'd be hot not wet. And then I had to fix my hair again to keep it from getting scraggly like hers feels."

"Alzar," said Zinjamyn, "is this something you want to talk to us alone about? I can tell you seem agitated."

Usually among The Four Benders, they would call each other Alz, Shin, Ike, and Zinj. However, when they were serious, they used each other's full names instead.

"Aye," Alzar replied, swallowing, "aye, it is."

"Then let's go," said Zinjamyn, and The Four Benders went into another room. Alzar sat down, looking depressed.

"So," said Aiku, "what's the matter,"

"Zakura as usual," said Alzar, "but this time she made fun of me for being blind. Ooh, it made me so angry..."

"She's just a stupid kid, Alzar," said Shinon, "just like we were when we tried that White Jade flower. We were younger though."

"Zakura's the avatar," said Alzar, "she's not stupid, she's just a jerk."

Zinjamyn noticed that tears were starting to trickle down her face. It was rare that Alzar ever did that.

"Alz," said Zinjamyn, "are you still mad about those stupid Makahola berries—the ones you thought would heal us?"

"Of course I am, Zinj," Alzar replied, "I'm blind because of them."

"Alz," said Aiku, "you're not blind at all. You're like that Sanaki girl—you can "see" everything."

"Ike," Alzar snapped, "I was literally able to see everything until I did that. Do you realize what my parents were like?"

"Aye," said Shinon, "they were shocked. They wanted to help you, but you didn't tell them until it was too late."

The families of these four benders were also really close friends, despite their class differences. Aiku and Shinon were from the lower class, (yet were able to survive on their own) Zinjamyn's family was middle-class, and Alzar came from a high-class family. However, Alzar's family was remarkably generous to the others' families, even Zinjamyn's. They were all pretty close-knit.

"I didn't want them to know I had been so stupid," said Alzar

"And so you let your eyesight diminish into nothingness, Alz," Shinon exclaimed, "Alzar, everyone just wanted to help you."

"I KNOW!" Alzar snapped, "I know that, Shin; and that's why I'm only mad at myself. I was so stupid for doing that."

"Well, Alz," said Aiku, "there's nothing we can do about it now. Just remember, we've been your best friends since we first met. Sure you were the only girl in our group, but we didn't think of you any differently. You're the greatest firebender in the world."

Alzar stood up, "thanks Ike," she said, and embraced him.

"Hey," said Zinjamyn, "we didn't let that tear us apart when it happened, and nothing's about to change, Alz; just remind Zakura that you can whip her in a firebending match and you'll be alright. We all still have a lot to teach her. Don't worry."

"Glad to know that you all aren't just dumping me," Alzar chuckled, and she embraced Zinjamyn, and then Shinon.

"Good, good," said Shinon, "now let's go back to the lounge. You can take a nap there, or you can get dressed for the day."

He smiled and chuckled, admiring Alzar's lavender kimono. As Alzar began to doze off back in the lounge (still in her lavender kimono) she heard Zakura convincing Cheng and Taki to go on another date. Ironically they accepted. Alzar chuckled, and as she fell into dreaming, she smiled knowing that she had long ago formed An Inseparable Bond.


	11. Chapter 11: What We're Fighting For

Chapter 11: What We're Fighting For

Alzar remained asleep for much of the day. Lehran showed up a few minutes later and asked Shinon if he could help him practice his waterbending as to increase his skills. After all, since The Avatar Guard also included the four most powerful benders in the world, training against one of them would only mean you would improve.

"I would be glad to," said Shinon flatly, as was his traditional tone of speech, "come with me, young one, although I recommend letting your sister remain here."

"I can't leave Altina," said Lehran, "I... I care about her too much."

"Lady Koara will watch over her," Shinon replied, "you seem to be well-acquainted with her, is that correct?"

"Aye," Lehran replied, "I'm sorry about that. It's just that I found her as the only one left in my village that was not captured. I don't want anything bad to happen to her under my care."

"I understand how that is," said Shinon, "and that is why we are willing to training people of your type. We too are trying to end the atrocities of The Order of the Avatar Slayer."

"Of course," said Lehran, "so aye, I guess I should turn Altina over to Koara until I get back then?"

"Aye," Shinon replied, "and don't worry; any damage that I might do to you can be repaired by Koara. She's a master of the arts."

"Alright then," said Lehran gently,

"Or," said Shinon, "Since you yourself are a waterbender, perhaps you can try a technique or two of your own on yourself; After all, a waterbender's healing abilities are just as vital as his or her combat abilities. I may not seem like the type, but I am also a master healer."

"That's understandable," said Lehran, "after all, you're the most powerful waterbender in the world."

"Indeed," said Shinon calmly, "but like yourself and the other benders of my group, we do not brag about it. That is an admirable trait, young Lehran. Always remember that, and be sure to raises your sister the same way. I can feel that she has the potential to become a very talented waterbender when she's older."

"Little Altina," Lehran exclaimed, "I will be glad to. She already is fond of the waterbending art, even at that age."

"Precisely," said Shinon, "and that is why you must raise her well. I can sense an amazing waterbender in her. Perhaps she will take my title once I pass on."

"Shinon," said Lehran calmly, as the two of them went into one of the larger back rooms to train, "you're talking like you're going to die within the next week. You're the greatest waterbender in the world. That's not going to happen, my friend."

Shinon smiled, "that's the spirit, kid," he said, "I'm glad you're confident."

They shut the door and immediately the place was iced over by Shinon, and Lehran was at the ready. Shinon was amazing of course, and Lehran was pretty decent as well. Shinon was not using his full strength on Lehran because overwhelming fore does not make good training. Shinon glided on the icy floors and onto the sides of the wall, shooting bursts of water at Lehran, which he would freeze and then shatter.

Lehran noticed that Shinon used his feet a lot as well, and began trying to emulate his movements. He found that moving around as swiftly as he did was easy—he threw ice in front of him, and as long as he could slide on that he could glide anywhere at his speeds. He used this to dodge Shinon's projectiles, and resist his water whips with his own defensive maneuverings. Shinon decided to step up his game to the point where he knew that he would soon quickly overwhelm Lehran. Within a few minutes he was at Shinon's mercy.

"I," he exclaimed, "I'm sorry Shinon. I could not keep up."

"Well," said Shinon, smiling and helping him up, "considering that I was "increasing my game" until I overwhelmed you, I knew it would come eventually. You did very well, Lehran."

"Thank you," said Lehran, catching his breath, "can we go again?"

"Aye," said Shinon smiling; he always loved an eager student.

Zinjamyn and Alzar were still in the main lounge. Koara was watching Altina, admiring her cute little water tribe attire she wore, which was like a smaller version of their everyday outfits.

Normally they would have not allowed a child that young into the base, but because Lehran had joined and was willing to take care of her (as in "his duty" of course) and there was no one else to take her, they had let her stay. They were not about to break up a family just for "order".

Altina ran around in little circles in front of Koara, her little furry water tribe boots making no noise. She was chasing a little ball of water that Koara was bending to keep her entertained, and she was enjoying following it, her little hands poking out from her thick water tribe coat. She ran and fell down into sitting position, and Koara chuckled. However, Altina began crying, so Koara made her water tickle Altina's cheeks, and Altina giggled, still trying to catch it.

"She's a cute little child, isn't she," said Zinjamyn. Apart from Alzar, Koara, and Altina, he was the only one there. Cheng and Taki had gone into one of the back rooms to "rest", Sanaki and Kimiko were playing with firebending elsewhere, and Aiku was with Mulan. Shinon was teaching Lehran of course.

"Aye," Koara replied, "she really is. Did you know that this little child is a waterbender, even at her young age?"

"No," Zinjamyn exclaimed, as Koara sat Altina on her lap to keep her still for a moment, "no I didn't."

"Well," said Koara, "let me show you. Hold on a second."

Koara slid little Altina's pants off, as when she would waterbend she would spill it on her lap all the time and then she'd get cold and uncomfortable. Since she was just a little child, no one made a big deal about it. Koara sat her down and bent a tiny ball of water in front of her. Altina began to move her hands and sure enough, the water would follow. She was waterbending—the little 18-month old baby could waterbend. Of course, it was nothing useful in combat, but to see a tiny child bending water was pretty amazing.

Not surprisingly, a few seconds later Altina get excited and dropped the water on her legs. Koara collected it; picked up little Altina and put her pants back on and let her run around again.

Meanwhile, in one of the back rooms, Sanaki was managing to get past to Kimiko, and was able to talk and socialize with her. After enough getting to know who they both ere, Sanaki figured she could ask Kimiko a curious question about herself.

"Kimi," said Sanaki, "I've got one more thing to ask you, Okie?"

"Alright," Kimiko said timidly. She gazed into the eyes of this little 17-year-old girl, and the only reason she was able to look her in the eyes was because she knew that Sanaki could not look back into hers since Sanaki was blind. Sanaki was smiling innocently.

"Um," said Sanaki, trying not to sound rude, "I hope you don't feel offended by this, but I was just wondering—have you always been this shy? I... I hope I didn't say that the wrong way."

Kimiko stopped and was silent for a while. Eventually she spoke.

"No," she said, "no I wasn't always this shy. In fact, it was only a few weeks before I came here that I became like this. I was a loudmouth before this. I would never know when to shut up."

"What happened, Kimi" Sanaki asked, "is that how..."

She put her right hand gently up to Kimiko's scar. The look on Sanaki's face was of utmost sympathy.

"It was because of something I said that I got this scar," said Kimiko quietly, "and also why I had to watch my family die in front of me. Sanaki, there are times when it's a good thing to be blind."

"Oh," said Sanaki, "well, I never thought being blind was a bad thing."

"That's good," said Kimi, putting her fingers gently on Sanaki's eyelids, gently massaging her eyes. She was not sure why she was doing it, but Sanaki didn't mind. In fact, it seemed she enjoyed it.

"I watched them come with my family," Kimiko continued, "I didn't even get to say goodbye. They forced me to watch them get killed. They were all big-time members of The Avatar Guard, so any excuse to kill them would suffice for The Order. I was mad. I challenged the man responsible for the idea of slaying my family to an Agni Kai. He was much older than me, and I didn't think I would win. I was hoping he'd kill me.

Unfortunately, right before he was about to do that, he got a worse idea. He decided to burn me, and then I was exiled. I had a "criminal record", so they had the right to do it too."

"What did you do that gave you that record," Sanaki asked,

"My family and I got into a rather big fight against Order members, killing several of them." Kimiko replied "murder" was the charge, and we all knew that it was, in a way, justice."

"That's terrible," said Sanaki, "but Kimi, I'm glad you're here. Your family is probably looking down at you right now and is proud."

Kimiko embraced Sanaki, sobbing.

"They would be," Kimiko replied, "they always wanted me here. Come my 18th birthday they were gonna admit me at last."

"Well," said Sanaki, "I'm not sure why they let me in early, but I do know that this is where we belong. This is What We're Fighting For."


	12. Chapter 12: The Duty of an Avatar

Chapter 12: The Duty of an Avatar

Shinon and Lehran finished their training and came back out into the main lounge area. Altina had ran around so much that she tired herself out and was asleep on the floor curled in a little ball, her thick water tribe clothing making her look like a little ball of blue fluff with a tiny girl's head poking out. On his way past, Lehran smiled and scooped her up, taking her with him to one of the back rooms to rest.

Alzar remained asleep, Zinjamyn and Koara continued conversing, and then Zakura walked in. it seemed she had been thinking something over.

"Alzar," she said, nudging her, but Alzar didn't respond.

"Look, Alzar," said Zakura, "wake up. I gotta tell you something important." Nonetheless Alzar remained asleep. Zakura could tell by now that she was trying to ignore her. Zakura never liked being treated like she didn't exist, so she hoisted Alzar over her shoulder and took her into one of the back bedrooms. She was still pretending to be asleep, even when Zakura dropped her onto one of the beds. One of the best things about The Avatar Guard's base was that it was easy to find a private chatting place, and that was why Zakura did what she did.

"Alzar, listen to me," she said, "Would I really go through all this effort unless it was really something important?

Alzar said nothing. She did notice that her bare feet were twitching.

"ALZAR," Zakura roared, but Alzar remained asleep.

"Fine then," said Zakura, "I guess I need to prove we're friends still."

This made Alzar jump, but by that time Zakura's fist had already connected with the underside of Alzar's jaw, breaking it. Naturally this made her mad.

"Why do you ALWAYS feel the need to DO THAT TO ME," she yelled,

"Because," said Zakura, "you're my friend, Alzar. I do that to all my friends, and I needed to tell you something important."

"I was asleep," Alzar fumed, but even she knew this wouldn't work,

"Alzar," said Zakura, "do you really think that I would go through all that trouble if I wasn't hoping to say something important?"

Alzar grumbled. Blood began running out her mouth, and it became harder for her to speak.

"What is it you wanted to tell me," she spat, also spitting blood. Sometime before Zakura had come back Alzar had gotten dressed into her everyday clothes, and so if there was blood on them, it would be hard to tell because of the red color.

"I wanted to apologize for last night," said Zakura, "I shouldn't have been that mean to you. Making fun of you for going blind was not my place."

"And breaking my jaw was," Alzar asked indignantly,

"Yeah," said Zakura, "you know that it's my friendly gesture."

"Fri—WHAT," Alzar exclaimed, spraying blood, "friendly!?!"

"Please tell me you've grown aware of my humor, Alzar," said Zakura,

"I have," Alzar spat, "but enough is enough. I'm not your breakable little play-toy. I've got feeling in my jaw just as much as you do."

"I know," said Zakura, "and pain makes ya stronger."

Zakura began massaging Alzar's jaw, which only made it hurt worse.

"Guuhh," she said, trying to push away, "stop that."

"Alright," Zakura replied, taking her hand away, "see Alzar, I can be reasonable sometimes. I'm not perfect just 'coz I'm the avatar."

"No," said Alzar, "no I don't see. YOU seem to like to make fun of me for that too—no one else notices."

"Hey," said Zakura, "I just said, not even the avatar is perfect."

"I'm fully aware of that," said Alzar, "but Avatar Lahka was much better than you are. You're a disgrace to the avatar cycle. I can't believe I ever donated my talents to teach you. I would have much rather have taught him than someone as crude, annoying, and rough as you."

"Hey," said Zakura, grabbing her tightly around her jaw, "I didn't ask to be the next incarnation. Personally, you know for a fact that I could care less. I didn't get to have a normal life with friends like you did. I didn't have a little clique of powerful benders. I had nothing. My parents gave me everything, but would never let me even earthbend.

They were the ones who avidly supported The Order. They don't even know what I'm here doing."

"Well," said Alzar, still spitting blood, "you'd obviously be on this side, otherwise you'd be working to kill yourself."

"Fine then," said Zakura, "maybe I'll just call the whole thing off—surrender to The Order; turn myself in and wait for them to scour the Fire Nation while they hunt the next avatar. I'm pretty sure little Lady Alzar wouldn't mind being subjected to Absolute Order."

Zakura turned and was about to storm out of the room, but Alzar stopped her. She looked like she realized that she was taking it too far.

"Zakura," she said, blood still dripping out of her mouth, "look, I'm sorry. But just like I know your humor, you know my irritability, alright?"

"Aye, Alzar," said Zakura, "I do. That's part of the reason I pick on you especially. Your reactions are amusing."

Alzar did her best to not say anything. She knew that Zakura would never talk bad about Alzar or about who she was. Even her blindness was joked about in good humor—Zakura always made sure to say so.

"Well," said Alzar, blood from her jaw all over her clothes and lower face, "can you go a little easier on the jaw-smashing? I've got feeling there too, you know..."

"Eh," Zakura shrugged, "I guess so. But yeah, Alzar, it's just my friendly gesture. If it wasn't I wouldn't fix it up for ya."

"Well either way, I'm gonna have to change my clothes."

"Alzar, like the others, you've got at least 3 more of that same outfit."

"What's your point?"

"The point is, Alzar, is that I'm sorry, alright? I just want a little fun every now and then. I don't know why I choose you so much."

"Guuhh," said Alzar, "I guess I'll forgive you, provided you can fix me up, alright? Oh, and sorry about the remarks about Avatar Lahka. It's just that he... you..."

Granted Alzar did not have a crush on Avatar Lahka, for he had been over 100 years old when he died.

"I don't seem to care about who I am—what my responsibility is," said Zakura bluntly and straightforwardly,

"Aye," Alzar said hesitantly through the blood on her mouth, "sorry to sound rude and all but you have to admit that it's true."

"I know I do," said Zakura, "I guess I just haven't found that proof of how important it is. Until then, I'm just here to be myself. If word got out I was the avatar I'd have the Order all over me. That's their purpose. They want to kill me; of course, they'll need a lot of help. I was taught by the four greatest benders in the world. You, Alzar, are one of them."

"Hold it, hold it," said Alzar, "Did you just say that someone else was better than you at something? Hold on... I need to try and process this moment. I'm not sure I'm able to take this all in at one time."

"Shut up," Zakura laughed, nudging Alzar playfully "want me to heal your jaw or not?"

"Well," said Alzar, "seeing as it feels like someone was murdered in here from all my blood on the ground, aye, that'd be nice."

"Don't tell anyone I said that to you then," Zakura laughed, and Alzar's jaw was repaired I no time flat.

"Not a word," Alzar replied, laughing, and the two of them went back out. Alzar went to go clean herself up, and Zinjamyn caught sight of her, and then punched Zakura playfully as she passed by.

"What," Zakura asked innocently,

"Don't pull that with me," Zinjamyn laughed, "I know what you did to her. What else makes someone get that much blood down their front like that? You must have gotten her good that time."

"Aye," said Zakura, chuckling, "and you're next."

Before Zinjamyn could pull his head back in time, Zakura had uppercut Zinjamyn's jaw as well.

"Bloody mercy," he exclaimed, chuckling, "can't believe I missed that. You're a real jerk, Zakura, you know that?"

"Ain't I," Zakura chuckled, "it's an avatar thing I guess."

"That's true," said Zinjamyn, blood now coming out of the corners of his mouth, "at least you don't go all avatar-crazy on us,"

"Yeah," Zakura laughed, "I might have to embarrass a couple of "resting" people though. Oh, and I'm able to brag that I've broken the jaws of the four greatest benders in the world."

"Heh," Zinjamyn laughed, ignoring the blood from his mouth, "and those four benders can boast that they can beat the avatar at their respective element. It all evens out, doesn't it?"

Zakura laughed, "I guess so," she replied, "here, let's clean you up."

Moments later, Zinjamyn's jaw was healed as well.

"You really are a swift learner," said Zinjamyn, "Avatar Lahka's legacy lives on, Zakura. I bet you'll soon be even better than he was."

"Heh," Zakura chuckled, "you know it. I'm Zakura. I do what I please."

"And to whom you please, when you please," Zinjamyn laughed, talking about how she would always smash people's jaws.

"Don't you forget it," she laughed, "or you'll be next on my list."

"Oh no," Zinjamyn laughed, "Whatever would I do then?"

"Heh," Zakura laughed, "what WOULD you do?"

"Well," said Zinj, chuckling, "I created this really awesome earthbending move, and well, I figured the avatar might want to know it..."

"Say no more," said Zakura, grabbing Zinjamyn's hand and taking him to one of the arenas, "you're gonna teach it to me."

"Glad to see you'll still be taught," Zinj laughed, one thing about you I always liked—you were always eager to learn it all."

"Of course," Zakura replied, "I have to. It's The Duty of An Avatar."


	13. Chapter 13: Night in the Spirit World

Chapter 13: Night in the Spirit World

That evening, everyone (even Cheng and Taki) was asleep as was normal. Even Zakura wasn't up pulling her usually nightly prank on someone. In fact, Zakura of all people was certainly not up. She was in a completely different dimension—the spirit world.

"Bloody mercy," she exclaimed, "where am I, how did I get here, and why am I here?"

"It should be obvious, avatar Zakura," said a voice, but Zakura could not locate its source. She looked around this way and that.

"How did you know who I was," she barked, "show yourself!"

"Zakura," said the voice, "you can't honestly believe that I don't know who you are. Look at where you are; who do you think is talking to you"

"It would help if I knew where I was, perhaps," said Zakura indifferently,

"Alright," said the voice, "I'll give you a hint: you're in the spirit world"

"So," said Zakura, "either you're some dead stalker, or some avatar."

"Try the latter one, perhaps," said the voice again, "and now you know how I know you are the avatar. You and I am the same person."

"What are you—show yourself," Zakura barked again

"Zakura," said the voice, and she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder, "you always were an unorthodox type. You've certainly gave the avatar a rather interesting name."

"Bah," Zakura shrugged and she turned around. In front of her was an old water tribe man whom she seemed to recognize, yet had never seen; he had long, flowing hair, and wore clothing like water tribe warriors would outside of their homeland

"Avatar Lahka," she exclaimed,

"Now you're catching on," avatar Lahka chuckled,

"So why did you bring me here," Zakura asked,

"Every avatar will visit the spirit world many times in their life, depending on its length." Lahka replied, "You are no exception, Zakura."

"So this is just like some sort of monthly checkup then," Zakura asked, "I'll probably fail any 'spirit check' I reckon"

"Zakura," said Lahka, "like you always say: 'no one is perfect; not even the avatar.' that is a true statement. Everyone is different. It's not like you were the first person to have "faults". Although I will say that your choice of dress and appearance is a little—it makes you stand out."

"So, bite me over it, alright," Zakura shrugged, "if I honestly cared I wouldn't do the things I do."

"Relax, Zakura, it's not like the world is all out to get—never mind."

"Now do you see my situation, Lahka," said Zakura, "the world really IS out to get me. It's not called The Order of the Avatar Slayer because it sounds cool. My own parents are top members of the said organization."

"Ah, The Order," said Lahka, "alas, it was just after my day. In my old age, they would have hunted me down, but they figured I was doomed to die in a few years anyways, and they were right. So instead they infested the Earth Kingdom—actually all four corners of the world—to try and find the earth kingdom baby.

Their leader, Xin Shing, actually encountered me right before I died. He told me that his group knew how to force an avatar into the avatar state, and that he planned to do it to me. Incidentally, we were not far from the Western Air Temple. I took a dive off of the canyon and away from Xin Shing, despite the fact that he could have followed me.

He knew that I was going to go to the Western Air Temple, and I knew it too. I went in through a secret entrance (a little earthbending was necessary), and by the time Xin Shing got there I had passed away. I had worked myself too hard, but my mission was complete. Thankfully he did not harm any of those poor air sisters, as that would have incurred my anger through you. He didn't believe them when they said I was dead."

"Get out of my way," Xin Shing snapped, pushing them aside and examining Lahka's body; he felt desperately for any signs of life, as if Lahka was his best friend. He screamed in rage when he saw that Lahka was dead, and he then had no further purpose at the Western Air Temple, for although he had frightened the Air Sisters there, they stubbornly refused to give him Lahka's body.

"And that is where you came in, Zakura," said Lahka, finishing his tale, "and now you are the next avatar."

"I obviously knew that by now," Zakura chuckled,

"I should hope so," Lahka replied, also chuckling, "you literally have the finest teachers the world can provide at this time."

"Eh, about that," said Zakura, "one of them—the firebender, said that she hated me and would have rather taught you."

"How old is she," Lahka asked, "surely she can't be that old,

"Eh," Zakura shrugged, "29, I think. And then the earthbender's 30, the airbender is 31, and the waterbender 32; they were a close group."

"So they were little children in my later years," said Lahka, "how does she know me then?"

"I don't know," said Zakura, "but she said some things that got me mad. She acted like I CHOSE to be the avatar and screw it all up."

"What are you, wait: screw it all up? When did you do that?"

"Please tell me you've noticed my indifference towards being the avatar," said Zakura, as if this was obvious (which it was).

"I have noticed," Said Lahka, "but I can sympathize with you, Zakura. You may not really recognize it or maybe even care about it, but you've had a hard life. You are forced to remain hidden—unable to use your talents without being hunted down. You never had a proper family even. There are not many people, let alone in the avatar cycle, like that."

"I had a family," Zakura shrugged, "and they gave me anything I want and let me do what I pleased, as long as there was no bending involved."

"And that was what you liked doing best, wasn't it?"

"It was. And I was so good at it that I was banned from Earth Rumble."

"You sure it wasn't because you cheated, eh, Zakura?"

"Err... okay fine, I'd cheat sometimes. But either way, I had so much fun. When I was 16, I just straight-up left home. I used earthbending to make my escape, and have not returned since then. I soon ran into The Four Benders, who were called The Avatar Guard at the time. They had a friend of theirs—a strange pointy-eared girl with yellow eyes named Tera, who was able to tell what sort of bender a person was, regardless of how they tried to hide it. She told me I was the avatar.

From then on, those four benders never left me alone. They became close friends with me, despite my seeming indifference. They were determined to teach me, and I was eager to learn. I guess I owe them much more than I give them based on how I treat them. In fact, I've kind of been a rather lousy scumbag to them, especially the firebender. She probably got the worst of it, as she was my first teacher. The earthbender was there to enhance my skills, and he did so while I was learning the other elements. Still, that firebender; I... I really treated her like crud. Even now I know that I still don't give her the respect she deserves."

"So now do you see why you were brought here," Lahka asked,

"So I could confess my thoughts to one of my past lives," Zakura asked,

"If you would like me to call for Avatar Wen I would be more than happy to," Lahka laughed,

"Err, no thanks," said Zakura flatly; "maybe if the fire avatar before him was a girl then maybe I'd say yes, but otherwise, I'm fine."

"The last female avatar before you was Avatar Komae of the water tribes," said Lahka, "so the water avatar before me; what's wrong with the men though; afraid they'll be taller than you?"

"Hush," said Zakura, punching Lahka's arm. It was funny how that worked in the spirit world. Nonetheless, Lahka was right. Zakura was a shorter woman, but was built incredibly tough.

"I think what I'd be afraid of;" said Zakura "is making them look bad."

She pulled the sleeve of her jacket up and flexed. Her arm was about as large as a youth's leg. She chuckled.

"Either way," said Lahka, "one of these days I'm going to be bringing you here with the intent of learning from your past lives. I'm surprised that one with such an arrogant nature could be such an eager learner."

"Hey," said Zakura, "what's that supposed to mean?"

Lahka merely smiled. A few moments later, Zakura found herself back in her room, lying face up staring at the ceiling. She got up and decided to stroll around the place, like she sometimes did at night. There was always someone else wandering around to talk to.

She had slept in her clothes, with the exception of her ankle guards, her hat and her jacket, and she didn't bother taking the time to put those on. Besides, it wasn't like she was going out in public—and she was the avatar. She could do what she pleased. The things that Avatar Lahka had told her were running through her mind. He didn't really seem too upset about who she was. He supported her on her stance that even the avatar is only human, and that he or she was not perfect. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she had actually learned quite a bit from her Night in the Spirit World.


	14. Chapter 14: Zakura's Turning Point

Chapter 14: Zakura's Turning Point

Zakura was deep in thought, something that she seldom did. It seemed to be the dawning of what exactly the term "avatar" meant to her. She was muttering to herself, just wandering around down the halls of their lair. She didn't figure anyone would be awake, but actually sort of hoped to find one of the older people awake. She wanted to talk to them. She normally would have just hit them to wake them up or something, but tonight she just didn't feel up for it.

"What do they expect," she muttered, "they can't honestly expect me to be running all over the place saving the freaking world every opportunity that arises. I refuse to comply if that's the case."

Additionally, the story Lahka had told her about Xin Shing and what his group was going to try and do to the avatar also frustrated her. This war was over Avatar Lahka's existence, and now that he had passed on, it was over her existence. So all in all, it wasn't over Lahka's existence, but the existence of the avatar him or herself.

"A whole war over me," she muttered, "and yet I could have had a normal life if I had just kept my talents hidden. Why did they want to do that to me? They were earthbenders too—they were and are the Earth King and Queen. Why did they want me not to be like them? They were trying to hold me back. Surely they didn't know I was the avatar—I didn't either until after I left. Considering the things they said that they and Xin Shing were going to do to the avatar—and the fact that they told me..." she paused and grumbled.

"What makes me so different," she yelled; luckily she was at an end of their hideout where few people were sleeping, and those that were sleeping here (Lehran, Altina, and Sanaki) could sleep through a hurricane. However, there was someone else awake and wandering. Zakura felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You are different because you are the avatar, Zakura," said the voice. It was old-sounding and raspy—this was Koara.

"So what," said Zakura, leaning on her hands, which were on the walls of the balcony overlooking the main "lounge"; The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors of this hideout had circular hallways that surrounded the main lounge, and thus were balconies as well.

"You are the spirit of this world in human form," Koara replied, "that is what. It is nothing to be ashamed of, young avatar."

"You'd know," Zakura spat, "ever been one?"

"Zakura," said Koara, "I was a supporter of The Avatar Guard before you were even born. I can tell when they have a problem. Come, let us sit down. You can tell me everything, Zakura. Lahka used to come to me when he had problems."

"Hold it," said Zakura, "Lahka was 115 when he died, meaning that if he were still alive he'd be 138. You're 93, so that means you were 45 years younger than he was. How does that work?"

"Age does not grant wisdom, Zakura," said Koara, "it implies it, but guarantees nothing. In fact, the other day, that young blind girl shared with me a piece of profound wisdom. What I am saying is that it can come from anywhere. Avatar Lahka turned to me a lot because I was able to understand his problems. It wasn't just because he was from the Water Tribe. We first met when I was 19."

"He was 64 when he came to a 19-year-old girl for help," Zakura exclaimed, "that's ridiculous,"

"And yet it is what he did," Koara replied calmly. "He acknowledged that the avatar was not perfect either. Zakura, you're not as different from them as you think. Come, let us go over here and sit down. Tell me anything you want to. Just let it all out."

Zakura followed Koara over and sat down in front of her so that her back was to Koara. Using waterbending, Koara began massaging Zakura's back and shoulders, as in her old age, Koara was not as strong as she used to be, and Zakura was much more muscular then your average person.

"Let it out, Zakura," said Koara calmly, her hands not actually coming in contact with Zakura's skin, but rather she was letting her water do the trick. Zakura suddenly raised her fist and jammed it right into the floor, leaving a huge dent there. It might have helped that even though she was sans her hat and jacket that she still had her gloves on, and those happened to be plated at the knuckles—and this helped when she broke people's jaws. Nonetheless, Zakura said nothing.

"Zakura," said Koara, "I'm not going to stop nagging you until you let it out. I'm here to listen to you. There is always someone who can understand your problems. I plan to try my best."

Zakura growled. "Fine," she snapped, "it's the way I'm treated; the way I've been treated; what I'm going to have to end up doing. So what that I'm the avatar; why does it mean so much to The Order that they get rid of me?"

"Because they want control," Koara replied, "they don't want to have to go knowing that there is someone out there to put them into their place."

"So why aren't they after Alz, Shin, Ike, and Zinj?" Zakura asked,

"Because they can overpower them," Koara replied, "none of them have the avatar state. You are the most powerful single person in the world."

"I just don't see why we can't all get along." Zakura grumbled, "I don't care how powerful I am. I just want to be able to do what I want. If Xin Shing just left me alone none of this would have to happen. The only reason I hate him is because he hates Me." she paused. "When someone hates me I give them a REASON to hate Me." she roared, punching her fist into her palm upon saying the word 'reason'.

"You have all right to bring Xin Shing down," said another voice from behind them. Zakura and Koara turned and saw that it was Mulan.

"What are you doing up at this hour," Koara asked,

"Illness as usual," Mulan replied, but then turned to Zakura, "Zakura, you must bring him down. He is mad with power. It might have been his grandfather that started The Order of the Avatar Slayer, but he is taking it to an entirely new level. It is a tactic I had heard him talk about when I met him 10 years ago, but I never expected that he would actually follow through with it."

"Hold," Zakura exclaimed, "you've met Xin Shing,"

"Aye," Mulan replied, "I encountered him on my 16th birthday. He would frequent the Western Air Temple, for that was where Lahka passed away. It was like it haunted him. Naturally none of us Air Sisters dared try to stop him, and he never did any real harm. He did often times try to intimidate us and bring us to his side. The Air Nomads are the only race that is not really divided. There are a few such as Xin Shing himself, but for the most part they are united."

"What exactly did he do to you," Zakura asked,

"Nothing permanent," Mulan replied, "but he somehow had blood on his hand, and he smeared it on the side of my face."

"Think, my young friend," said Xin Shing, smearing blood on the left side of Mulan's face, "this could be the blood of your sisters if you refuse to join me."

"You would recruit a child to your war," Mulan exclaimed; she knew that she shouldn't run nor say anything to offend him, as he had caught Mulan by herself. Mulan knew that Xin Shing was not about to take on a temple full of airbenders, for he was outnumbered.

"Aye," Xin Shing replied seductively, "any young bending master would be of great worth to me."

He put his two fingers on the arrow on Mulan's forehead.

"Then again," he said, "you're resemblance to avatar Yangchen in her earlier years might make me want to kill you. Stay light on your feet, young airbender. You never know when my clan will find that Earth Kingdom baby; until then, adieu."

"He did that to you," Zakura exclaimed,

"Aye," Mulan replied, "but that's not the only reason I want you to bring him down, Avatar Zakura. He is beginning to exploit children for his cause—many of them are around 14 or 15, but some are as young as 9. Anyone who is a talented bender he seduces."

Zakura clenched her fist.

"That," she said through gritted teeth, "is where I draw the line, Xin Shing. Children of that age should never be forced into combat, especially since I'm pretty sure you didn't tell them what they're fighting for. That is low. Koara, Mulan, there is only one way to immediately retaliate, and we have to do it."

"And what way is this," Koara asked calmly, for although this angered her, she did not express it;

"We have to recruit them as well," Zakura replied, "anyone we can save from his grasp."

"But then we are hypocritical," said Koara, "for that is what you are after him about,"

"Not so," said Zakura, "we just need to keep them AWAY from combat. I doubt there are an incredibly huge amount of powerful young benders that he will seek—any he finds will be prodigies, and will thus be dangerous. It's time that rule about being 18 goes. They have taken it that far." None of the others said anything, but they figured that something was with Zakura. This night was called Zakura's Turning Point.


	15. Chapter 15: Katara's Corruption

Chapter 15: Katara's Corruption

The only downside to Zakura's proposition was that not even she was aware of just how quickly Xin Shing was operating on that plan. After a little prying from Zakura, she learned that Mulan had gone to the spirit world that night too. Mulan was naturally quite spiritual being an Air Nomad, but spirituality was also something she held very high in her life. She had been warned of Xin Shing's treachery. However, she had not been warned either about how quickly it had started.

A ways away in the Fire Nation, it was beginning to take effect. Xin Shing was in the Fire Nation on his way to visit Fire Lord Orzon and Fire Lady Ayumi when he saw it—a young girl of about 15. She had scraggly and absurdly curly long, dark brown hair, tanned skin, golden eyes and was clad in dark red and gold colors.

"Hmm," Xin Shing muttered, stopping, "that girl looks oddly familiar. What is it about her that seems to spark my memory?"

He decided to follow her, but kept her just in his sight so she wouldn't notice him. She rounded a corner and suddenly someone grabbed her. She wrenched herself away from her attacker, and decked him hard in the face. She had a strong arm for a young girl. Additionally, she had asset of braced gauntlets that ran from her elbows to o her hands, only exposing her fingertips.

It was these that had caught Xin Shing's attention. The girl he had met several years back had worn something similar, except hers were resistant to fire. Xin Shing noticed that the girl had gotten into a bad situation. She was cornered by firebenders, and couldn't find an escape.

"Don't do this," she warned; she had a rough, raspy voice that seemed like it shouldn't belong to her. Naturally her attackers didn't concede, and they moved in closer. One of the women shot a fireball at her, and right as she did, the girl crossed her arms, and the braces she wore either absorbed or deflected the flames.

"This is my target," Xin Shing muttered; he recognized some of the attackers as Order members, but although he wasn't going to attack them, she was going to make sure that the girl got out of there safely.

"Katara Altina II, you are mine," he smirked, for he knew this girl's name. She had been named after her mother, who was a waterbender. Her mother had been named after a legendary waterbender who had lived over 1200 years ago.

Xin Shing figured that this girl would get out of here safely, as now he know who she was—he had been searching for her for a long time, because he knew of her power. She had more raw energy than a Fire Lord during a comet. However, her body was not built for the energy her spirit had. She lacked the necessary control to be able to use her abilities as effectively as a Fire Lord or Lady.

After Katara had blocked the fireball, the others attacked. She took several hits before she struck back. She blasted them all several feet away, and the force from the sheer power and volume of her fireball has blasted her backwards into the wall she was against, leaving her slightly dazed. The others must not have known how powerful she was; for once she had unleashed some of her power on them they fled without a second thought. After they were gone, Xin Shing came up to investigate the damage. The building she had smashed backwards into was abandoned, so it was nothing important. He looked her over, and saw she was unconscious.

"Excellent move, Katara," he chuckled, hoisting her over her shoulders, "excellent move..."

Katara woke up to find herself outside of the city. She was still a bit groggy and so it took a moment or two for her to come around. She felt her bare feet against the grass, but a quick glance around let her find her boots, which were beside her. She looked around. From what she saw, she was all alone.

"I could have sworn I was knocked out in town," she muttered, "is this some sort of dream,"

Katara used an incredibly powerful firebending move towards the ground that was too powerful for her, and it blasted her several feet into the air. She landed painfully on her face, and this was sort of verification that this was not a dream.

"Ouch," she muttered, and shook her head. She stood up and fell backwards from shock at what she was seeing. In front of her was an enormous fiery head probably about 10 feet tall and 10 feet in the air. If Katara jumped at it she'd go off the edge of the Cliffside she was on. Katara recognized the face as that of the old Fire Lord. Katara's father had known him well, and Katara looked at him in high regard because of this (and because he was the Fire Lord). His wife, Zeruda, was still alive and now part of the Avatar Guard Secret Service, which consisted of her, the Earth Queen, and the Water Chief's wife.

"Hello, Katara Altina II," the fiery figure said, "do you remember me?"

"Aye," Katara replied, "you were the old Fire Lord before Orzon."

"What do you know about The Order of the Avatar Slayer," it asked,

"They were responsible for the raid that killed my father," she said, and it seemed to make her angry thinking about this.

"That was back in the day," said the voice, "nowadays the Order will accept you for who you are—they will understand what you have been through. They are here to being balance into the world."

"Who are you," Katara asked,

"I am the one who can help you avenge your family," the face replied,

"I don't want revenge," Katara replied, "I want to try and forget the face of the men who attacked us."

"Surely you're not afraid of them" it said, "after all, a girl with power like yours could take on the avatar."

"I don't want to kill the avatar," said Katara stubbornly, "he never did anything to me, so why would I want him dead?"

The last avatar, Avatar Lahka was of course male, and Katara did not know Zakura. The avatar's identity was kept a tight secret.

"If The Order can do nothing else for you, Katara, they can at least find your family again," this was the figure's last attempt, and fortunately for the ones operating it, it worked. This was a scheme used by Xin Shing and Fire Lord Orzon. They were hidden in the trees, Xin Shing using airbending to magnify and alter his voice, and Orzon bending the fire into the talking head of the old Fire Lord.

"You know where my family is," Katara exclaimed, "what do I have to do to see them again; you name it, I will do it."

"Join us and put your powers on the side of The Order," said the figure, "and then your vision here shall end."

"You have my services," said Katara, now on her knees starting up at the figure, "just keep me and my family away from any other harm."

"That can be arranged," said the voice, "now make haste and go to the Fire Lord's Palace. The Fire Lord and Lady are expecting you."

"How do they know about me?" Katara asked,

"Because they have seen this vision as well," the face replied,

"Alright then," said Katara, and right as she said it the face vanished into the air, leaving Katara seemingly alone. She got her boots back on and headed back towards the city. She didn't think that two people might have been working together on that, and she knew that one person couldn't. She got there and passed by a group of young Fire Nation girls who looked about her age and a little older. Katara cringed at their revealing attire, hoping sincerely that they wouldn't try to force her into something of that sort.

"Why are you wearing boy's clothes," one of the girl's said in a high giggly voice, and her little cronies all laughed. All of them had irritatingly high voices which bugged Katara

"Because I don't want the guys getting jealous of my battle scars," Katara replied. Her voice was much lower than theirs, and it was a quite humorous contrast. Katara turned to them and lifted her shirt to show them her midriff. Unlike theirs, Katara's midriff was rough and scarred from the various fights she had gotten in and her spasms during her younger years where she would hurt herself. Katara smirked at their shocked expressions and pulled her shirt down.

"What's the matter, scared," she taunted, and made her way to the palace. Incidentally, the girls followed behind but kept their distance.

"Welcome to The Order of the Avatar Slayer," said the Fire Lord upon Katara's entrance (granted by permission of course, and the girls who were following her stayed outside the doors),

"Yeah," said Katara, seemingly indifferent, "you're not gonna make me dress up like those clowns out there, are you?"

Orzon paused for a second, and then smiled.

"You're nice and straightforward, young lady," he said, "I like that. You can do whatever you please here."

Orzon proceeded to give Katara a rundown of the palace. It turned out that the girls who followed her were servant girls, and they had expected her to be the same. When they found out she was officially part of the Order, they became jealous, but Katara didn't care.

"I guess I'm better than you with my low voice and my boy's clothes," she laughed, "let your boyfriends challenge me to an arm wrestle," she paused and flexed. Excessive firebending had given her powerful arms and legs. "Or better yet," she said "an Agni Kai,"

She made a huge fireball on her arm, and walked off chuckling, leaving the girls speechless. However, what she didn't know what that she was on the wrong side. This was Katara's Corruption.


	16. Chapter 16: Trip to the Fire Nation

Chapter 16: Trip to the Fire Nation

"So how many insanely powerful benders do you expect to find that are under the age of 18, eh, Zak?" Koara asked, chuckling. She, Zakura, Aiku, and Taki had gone out and about,

"Even one will make the difference," Zakura replied, "I'm actually going to stop by with the Secret Service and take a little trip to the Fire Nation. Fire is power; if there's anyone with crazy abilities, the Fire Nation is our best bet. Are you three in for coming?"

"So that means I'm not gonna see Cheng-Cheng for that long," said Taki,

"Aye," said Zakura, rolling her eyes and waggling her fingers "'Cheng-Cheng' will still be here for you when we return."

"Geez, Zak," said Taki, "I'm not THAT attached to him. Take a joke. Go back to being the "I-don't-give-a-crap-about-anything" Zak you used to be. You were much more entertaining, even when you barged in on me."

"I wish I could, Taki," said Zak, "but manipulating children is serious business to me. Children are precious. Don't ever forget that."

"What do you mean," Aiku asked, "is this a part of little Zak-Zak we Four Benders haven't seen yet?"

Zakura answered him with an uppercut to the jaw.

"Never call me "Zak-Zak" again—ever." She growled.

"Zak, look," said Aiku, taking her aside, and since Zak knew she was about to be chastised, she fixed his jaw.

"What is it, Ike," she snapped,

"You seriously need to calm down. You act like this is something completely foreign to you—like someone slapped you in the face with this. You have been aware of Xin Shing's warnings for years. What gives this time; why are you so upset?"

"None of you seem to realize just how much children mean to me," she said darkly, "to hear of them being used like tools... that's not going to sit well with me, alright?"

"Alright, Zak," said Taki, "we get it. Now seriously, just calm down, alright? Don't take your anger out on us. We're on your side. We're here to help you; to keep you out of The Order's clutches."

Zakura grumbled. "The Order," she muttered, "the order,"

"Zakura," said Koara, "there is another thing I love about you—when you're frustrated about something deep, you always have a subtle way of showing it. Tell us what's wrong. If even someone as rebellious as Taki is avidly supporting you, you can tell the rest of us."

"I'd hit you for that remark," said Taki, "but I'd probably break your arm."

"That's true," Koara laughed, "come back 70 years ago and say that and I'd have you down in a second."

"So," said Taki, changing the subject again, "Zakura, you can tell us what's the matter. Koara's right. If someone as rebellious as me is willing to listen, then we have your back."

Zakura grumbled. "Fine," she said, "it was a visit I had to the spirit world last night, okay?"

"Zak," Aiku warned, "we're not in private. You can't be saying things like that too loud. If your identity gets out right now we're all screwed."

"Anyways," said Zakura, taking no notice, "if the order gets me where they want me, they'll end the avatar cycle forever. They have something that can force me into the avatar state. They can kill me—end it forever. I don't care if I die—it just means they'll spend another 23 years trying to find the Fire Nation baby. If they get me while I'm going all-avatar on them though it's done; the avatar cycle ends, and I'll have to be known as the one who messed it all up."

"Look, Zak," said Taki, "we're here for you. You want to take us to the Fire Nation, we're following you. It is not our job to question your objectives, but to go along with them. It's not Ryuka that leads this operation; it's you."

"You three would really go on a wild ostrich-horse chase just because I think there are a couple of fire nation kids getting manipulated by Xin Shing; you seriously would?"

"Aye," Koara replied, "I'm pretty sure anyone, even Mulan or Kimiko, would agree to go with you if you asked them. We're the elite band chosen by you, the avatar herself, Zakura. We follow you to the end of this war or the end of our lives."

Zakura smiled.

"And the avatar thanks you for that. All she ever wanted was to be like everyone else. She doesn't want this war anymore than the next person. I just want to be able to do what I want when I want."

"There's an easy answer, Zak-Zak," Aiku laughed, "just kick Xin Shing's sorry soul into 4 months ago; problem solved."

Zakura raised her fist and glared at Aiku. Zakura was a head and a half shorter than him. She was a couple of inches shorter than Koara as well. Aiku was also taller than average.

"You'll get off the hook this time, Ike," she said, hitting his arm, "be thankful you're taller than me."

"That's not too hard of a feat," Koara laughed, "that little Kimiko girl is almost taller than you, and she's tiny."

"Shut up, grandma, or I'll break you in half right now" Zakura laughed, and Koara laughed back.

"There's the Zak we know and love," Taki chuckled, "so where's the joke about what me and Cheng did last night?"

"You and Cheng did something last night," Zakura exclaimed,

"Now that you mention it, no we didn't." Taki replied,

"When's the baby due," Zakura asked, laughing, and Taki blushed,

"No, we didn't do THAT," she exclaimed, laughing, "and I'm glad you're back to normal, Zakura."

"Me too," Zakura chuckled, "so tell me, when IS that baby due?"

"I'm not pregnant," Taki exclaimed, "me and Cheng didn't do that!"

"Uh-huh," Zakura muttered, "anyways, I'm off to the Fire Nation. You all coming with me now,"

"Of course," Koara replied, "let's go."

Because of Zakura's relationship to the Royal Family, they did not question who her and her friends were. She did tip them with a little extra gold. After all, Zakura had been making regular visits to the palace, disguised as one of her sisters. Zakura might have been rough and scraggly, but she could dress up real nice and fancy and make it look good when she wanted to. She was the 2nd child out of 4.

Her older brother had been killed in a war against the Avatar Guard, and since he had lorded over her claiming to know she was the avatar and constantly threatening to rat her out, Zakura did not really miss him. As a result, her younger sister was next in line to the throne, since Zakura had run away. Nonetheless, Zakura was truly and rightfully an Earth kingdom princess. It was not that she was a "rebellious princess" but rather, a "rebellious child". Zakura did not mind being a princess, and used it to her advantage whenever possible by showing her royal seal.

She was surprised at how unaware people were. When people DID find out, she usually just hit them and moved on. Nonetheless, they were able to get on board a ship towards the Fire Nation. They passed by the Northern Water Tribe along the way, where they picked up some Water Tribe people and others were dropped off.

"Why did you take this boat," Taki asked, watching the people get on or off, and Zakura smirked,

"No reason actually," she replied, "but... oh, maybe there WAS a reason."

She pointed where a set of twin waterbenders had climbed on. They looked about 13 or 14 at the oldest. They paid their fare with small money, meaning that they probably raised that money themselves.

"Perhaps its fate," Zakura shrugged, and decided to wait until they were comfortable before talking to them. It was nightfall by the time they had reached the Northern Water Tribe, and so their course was now set for the Fire Nation. Aiku, Zakura, Taki, and Koara decided to wait until the next morning before Zakura was going to talk to those children.

The next morning they learned that they had traveled pretty far during the night, and that it was starting to get warmer. Zakura was looking for the two waterbenders, but instead, they ran into her. The boy had been chasing the girl for fun, and she had hit headlong into Zakura and fell flat on her back. During that split-second, Zakura noticed that the girl was only about a head shorter than her.

"Dang, I'm short," she muttered, and then took the girl's hand and helped her back onto her feet. The boy had stopped a few feet behind.

"Don't hurt her," he said, and Zakura smiled, still holding the girl's hand.

"I would never do that," she said, and embraced the girl before letting er go. She looked slightly frightened, but Zakura was not about to let them off that quickly.

"I'm not going to hurt you," she said, "I'm just another Earth Kingdom woman. I'm not part of The Order of the Avatar Slayer."

This got the attention of the children. They suddenly embraced her.

"Thank you," said the little girl, "They are monstrous."

"Anytime," said Zakura, "if you two promise not to tell anyone, I'll tell you an awesome secret. First, I need to know your ages and names."

"My name is Maric," said the boy, "and this is my younger sister Malak. We're both 14 years old."

"Alright," said Zakura, noticing the innocent looks on their faces. Either these children were really good actors or were sincere. Zakura decided to trust them. She keened close to them and whispered, "You know the avatar; well, I'm that avatar they're trying to slay."

The children remains speechless, but looked like they were going to idolize Zakura forever. This only helped Zakura's pride, but on a more positive note, it had gained them some new little friends on their Trip to the Fire Nation.


	17. Chapter 17: The Tales of Koara

Chapter 17: The Tales of Koara

The trip to the Fire Nation was a long one, but Taki, Aiku, Zakura, and Koara had various ways of passing the time. They ended up bonding closely to Maric and Malak, and these two especially liked Koara, because she would waterbend with them. They were prodigious little children, so it seemed that Zakura had hit the jackpot in finding them.

"So what brings two little children such as your selves to the Fire Nation," Zakura asked,

"We're not that young," Maric exclaimed, "we're 14."

"Yeah," said Zakura, "and that Kyoshi warrior is 21, I'm 23, that airbender is 31, and the waterbender is 93; what's your point?"

Maric stammered, and then sat down next to his sister who was curled up asleep. They were both dark-skinned and had dark hair and blue water tribe eyes. Maric was dressed in a blue sleeveless shirt, baggy pants and had banded gloves, boots and belt. Malak was clad in a split dress, dark blue pants, grey shoes and a long-sleeved undershirt. She had guards on her wrists, but unlike Maric's, her entire hands were visible. Their hairstyles were very traditional for Water Tribe people—Maric had the warrior's wolf-tail, but the rest of his hair was longer and hang sideways on either side; and Malak had her hair connected in two loops that started at a pair of beads on her forehead that ran back and connected to a clump of hair she had done in back. The rest of her hair was just hanging loose.

"Fine," said Maric, "so why did you find us so interesting,"

"It's a long story," Zakura whispered, "let's just say for now that the avatar likes children."

"Alright," said Maric, "I can settle with that for now; just make sure that I and my sister don't get separated."

"That's always good that you two are inseparable," said Zakura, "I like that attitude; you've got genuine water tribe spirit."

"What would you know, earth girl," Koara laughed, "nonetheless, kid, she's right. That's the water tribe spirit I was born and raised with. Some of the crazy things I did gave waterbenders a popular name."

"Oh," said Taki, idly twirling one of her brass Kyoshi fans, "are we about to step into some wild life-threatening adventure of Koara again?"

"Precisely," Koara cackled, "people nowadays are much tougher than they used to be—or maybe I've just been crazy that long."

"I'd believe that latter in a heartbeat," Aiku laughed, "but what sort of story are you going to tell us this time, Koara"

"You were a crazy kid too," Maric exclaimed, idly running his fingers through his sleeping sister's hair,

"Crazy in more ways than one," Koara cackled again, "I was able to outperform all the boys in the Northern Water Tribe capital. Well actually, I was just more risk-taking. Most of my stunts were pointless things that I did just because I could; nonetheless, it earned me a reputation among the waterbenders."

"One you still have, I might note," said Taki, chuckling, "Lehran told me about your stunt on the monorail."

"Anyways," said Koara, "any of you want to hear the story of perhaps my fondest memory that does not include my husband?"

"Sure," Zakura shrugged, "some way to kill some time"

"I don't recommend you trying this," Koara warned them all, "as although I survived, it must have been out of fate and pure dumb luck. Nonetheless, I do believe I did it more than once. Those boys of old used to love hanging out with me, because they knew I would do any stunt they asked me to, and they were right."

Koara and the group of "daredevil" boys were at the top of a huge iceberg which had about a 50-foot drop on one side. There was a cold but light breeze, and it was the middle of winter (and they were at the North Pole). It was not enough to freeze their faces, but they were pretty well wrapped up. There were a total of four boys and Koara was the only girl brave enough to be in this group.

"So," said Koara, who was about 15 at the time, "what are we going to do up here? Surely we're not gonna freeze our clothes to our body by jumping in the water, are we?"

"Though that's a good idea, I doubt it," said one of the boys, "as it'd freeze and then we couldn't walk unless someone was there to break the ice off and make us flexible again."

"So, what are we doing" said Koara, pulling her hood off and revealing the rest of her head; she had long, flowing brown hair that many men considered beautiful. She never did it up with the exception of the twin loops of hair that almost all water tribe women had.

"Alright, Koara," said another boy, "we have decided that you're going to go first for this one,"

"Just cut to the chase, thanks," said Koara, "I want some action."

"Alright," said the oldest boy, who seemed to be the leader. He was about 17, and the other three were either 16 or 17, so Koara was also the youngest by at least a year. "For starters, you can undress as if you were going to take a dip in that water."

"You can't seriously believe that I'm gonna call that intense, do you?" said Koara, "unless there's something else you want me to do as well"

"Of course there is," they laughed, "we're not making you strip just because you're a girl in front of a bunch of guys."

"I knew that," said Koara, removing her parka and undoing her pants, "standing in my under-stuffs isn't life-threatening, just embarrassing for ugly people. The only reason I'm eager to comply is because I know that I have the change of freezing and dying." Koara took her thick pants off and began undoing her shirt. Just for the fun of it, one of the boys wolf-whistled. After all, at age 15, Koara was quite attractive. Everyone laughed about this, including Koara.

"What we're going to have you do," said one of the boys as Koara's thick shirt also came off, leaving her in her under-stuffs and her boots. Her top was about as revealing as some everyday Fire Nation attire, and her shorts ended about 6 inches above her knee. "Is you're going to jump off that ledge into the water. Are you up for it?"

"Of course," said Koara, stepping out of her boots. Her bare feet were now against the ice. She was shivering slightly, but that was to be expected from a girl wearing such little clothing in such hostile conditions; despite her shivering, she was grinning.

"You boys are gonna get outdone by a girl," she said, "be watching."

The boys stood by the edge of the iceberg and Koara canon-balled off the edge. About ¾ of the way down, she turned it into the belly flop and hit the water with a smack. She remained lying facedown on the water for a second before going under. A split-second later, she shot back up in a column of water. Her eyes her enormous and she was absolutely rigid. However, she was also grinning.

"You b-boys didn't t-think I-I would d-do that n-now, d-did y-ya?" she said, shivering intensely. She was starting to turn blue.

"Nice belly flop," said one of the boys, hitting Koara's belly. However, by this time she was almost numb and beyond feeling. She was dressed again in 15 seconds flat, and was starting to cough. She was barely able to get her gloves back on, and then she fell backwards into sitting position.

"Koara," they exclaimed, and the largest boy picked her up and they all began racing back to the city. They were also using it as an excuse to get out of having to do what Koara did.

"Hey," she said weakly, "you wimps didn't even do it,"

"We're getting you back to the city," they told her, "you're going to freeze to death if we don't"

Despite her protests of them not doing what she had done, they got her back and were able to get her back to the chi healers, who were able to revive her. Koara woke up in a very warm room dressed in her lighter clothes. The only parts of her body what were exposed were her head and her hands, and she twitched her fingers.

"Hey," she exclaimed, "I can feel my hands again."

"Be thankful," said one of the healers, holding her hands, she had warmth to her that she was putting through Koara's hands "a few more minutes out there and you would have started to freeze."

"Where's those boys who brought me here," Koara asked, sitting up. Now that she wasn't about to freeze to death she was alright.

"They saved your life," said the healer, "and they've been waiting for you to come around again since they brought you here."

A moment later they were in front of her.

"Koara," the leader exclaimed, "you're alive, thank the spirits;" he actually had the nerve to kiss her hand. Koara shrugged.

"Tomorrow you all are gonna do what I did," said Koara,

"No," they replied, "you could have died—we don't want to do anything that will kill us—just get close to that."

"You pansies," Koara replied bluntly, "thanks for saving my life. You're probably gonna have to do it again. I'm going to do it again."

None of them responded. They knew that they had just been outdone by a girl, and they had no choice but to admit it.

"That's my favorite story," said the modern Koara to the rest of her gang, "I've got plenty more to pass the time."

Needless to say, they all got a kick out of Koara's tale, and so she told them more of the crazy things she had done. In fact, almost the entire rest of the trip was spent listening to The Tales of Koara.


	18. Chapter 18: The Fury of Zakura

Chapter 18: The Fury of Zakura

The trip continued in peace. However, one time when Maric and Malak were playing, one of them noticed that a large ship was far off in the distance. They came to Zakura asking about it, and this got the attention of Aiku, Taki, Koara, and Zakura together.

Aiku decided to investigate from a safe distance, so out came his glider and he took to the skies. He was high enough that he was able to be concealed. When he was gliding directly over the ship he got a full view of everything about it.

It was a war ship, and it was loaded with Water Tribe warriors, both male and female, and also a large number of Kyoshi Warriors. Out of the fighting people in the world, the Kyoshi Warriors were often dubbed as the most violent, so Aiku knew they were "in for some fun".

"Huh boy," he said, coming back with the news.

"Maric, Malak," said Zakura, "you two hide below deck. If that ship is gaining on us as fast as we think it is, you two will be done in."

"Hey," said Malak, "you've seen us fight. You called us waterbending prodigies yourself. Why do we hide now?"

"Because," said Zakura, "the Order is going to take you, not kill you. They will force you to fight against the people you know and love. Trust me on this one, kid; I'm doing this for you two."

"Come on, Malak," said Maric, taking his sister's hand and going below deck, "she's right. We should go."

As they left, Taki was having a word with the captain about it."

"We have no proper warriors on this ship," he told her, "what would you have us do,"

"There is only one thing TO do," Taki replied, "we're going to fight. My little group of buddies you saw me board your ship with will take care of them. No amount of Order Members is any match for us."

"How many did you say there were," the captain asked,

"We didn't count," Taki replied, "but don't try to flee from them or they'll attack the ship. We want to get through this with as few casualties on our part as possible. I know how to kill Kyoshi Warriors easily enough, and I'm pretty sure our water tribe friend can take care of most of the waterbenders; and of course, we've got an earth rumble champion, a notorious bloodbender, the world's most powerful airbender, and of course that earthbender woman who looks strong enough to break a man's arms."

"I wish we could help," said the captain, "but I myself am no bender, and I doubt very many of these refugees are in fighting condition."

"Don't mind it," Taki replied, whipping out her Kyoshi fans; hers seemed to have sharp edges like a blade, "just try not to let them take anyone, particularly any talented children on board."

Without another word, Taki went back out onto the deck. The ship was rapidly gaining on them. Aiku, Zakura, Koara, and Taki stood there waiting for them. By the time they were within range and about to board, it looked like only Koara, Zakura, Taki, and Aiku were on board their ship. The Water Tribe warriors were chanting and the Kyoshi Warriors yelling. Some of them were throwing fire or water into the air as well as earth. Nowadays, benders of any type became Kyoshi warriors—they were a very diverse, powerful, and dangerous group.

"Prepare to be boarded," shouted a Kyoshi warrior whose headdress was different from the others—she appeared to be the leader. These girls were in their late teens and early 20s for the most part. The water tribe warriors were in their 30s or 40s, with a few in their 20s. They were both male and female.

"Alright then," said Koara calmly, "prepare to meet death in some unpleasant ways then."

Aiku darted in front and as their plank hit Zakura's ship, Aiku stood at the opposite end with his glider out in the form of a staff. He was parrying their moves and not letting them on.

"Can I go on a Kyoshi massacre," Taki asked Zakura eagerly, "please?"

"Not yet," said Zakura, "let's see how long Aiku can hold them off,"

Aiku was doing well, but then the Water Tribe warriors began using waterbending towards him. This was where Koara jumped on. She flung herself across and onto the other boat.

"Koara, you incessant maniac," Zakura grumbled, "You're 93. You're going to kill yourself."

She sighed and chuckled, "go for it, Taki," she said, and she blasted herself onto the other ship as well. Aiku jumped off the plank, leaving Taki by herself on the first ship. Everyone else was hidden. The Kyoshi warriors began bustling through to get to Taki, where she was waiting, with a nasty and slightly bloodthirsty grin on her face. While many of her enemies were using bending or were wielding blade, Taki simply whipped out her brass Kyoshi fans and was prepared the use them in ways unheard of to some people.

Many of these Kyoshi warriors were very skilled and talented. However, Taki had been one of the few who had actually gone to Kyoshi Island and learned the ultimate techniques from one of the old masters, who were part of the Meisha family.

That family got their reputation from a cute and talented woman who was as clueless and innocent as a 3-year-old, but would learn any technique that anyone taught her. She knew it all. Her happy go-lucky attitude and ultimately positive outlook on life had made her famous for being the longest-lived person in history at the staggering age of 253 years, ousting the legendary Avatar Kyoshi by 23 years.

Taki ended up wiping clean an entire row of them with several fell strikes from her fans. Hers were razor sharp, and even touching them with your finger would make you bleed. She was strong enough that she was able to slice clean through their chest armor. The first rank fell but the second rank just started crawling over them. These Kyoshi warriors were like fire ants. Many of them were just trying to get past Taki and try to find people to capture. They sometimes tried to block Taki's chi, but Taki was much too quick for them.

Koara meanwhile was holding off the waterbenders very well. Many of them were also simply trying to get past them, but of course, this also meant that they were going to have to get past Aiku and Taki. Many of them did, however. They were not trying to do damage, but rather find prisoners to capture.

Down below deck, Malak was restless.

"Don't move, Malak," Maric warned, "I don't think that's the avatar."

"I'm tired of waiting here," she said, "I'm a decent waterbender, and you are too, Maric. We can help them."

"She said to stay put," said Maric, but Malak had already jumped down and was running off.

"Malak," Maric shouted, but then heard footsteps, so he stayed put. He took Zakura's word for it that they wouldn't kill his sister, so if she got captured, he wanted to be the one to save her. Zakura was right, but this was a double-edged sword. Malak was captured immediately, but was not killed, or even hurt. She was just thrashing and trying to escape. The Kyoshi warriors bound her hands behind her back and bound her legs and tied her mouth. Whatever they used she was biting down on, still yelling. Maric didn't move, though he felt that he should have.

Koara was overpowering the Water Tribe Warriors, but the ones that had gotten past were returning with the prisoners. Now, instead of trying to kill Zakura, Koara, and Aiku, they were simply trying to get them off the boat. However, Zakura had a bone to pick with several of them, and was not about to stop until she was satisfied.

"Face it, lady," the lead Kyoshi warrior leered at Zakura, handing Malak off to a burly Water tribe man who disappeared below the deck of their ship with her, "there's too many of us. You can't win with earth alone."

"Funny you should say that," said Zakura, smirking, "I guess I should back myself up with more earth." She kicked up a rock; "or perhaps some water... or air, or fire, or all four"

As she named each element she used a move.

"You should have thought twice before you chose to challenge the avatar, little Kyoshi girl," she said, grinning. She lifted her hat back up and opened her eyes. They were glowing blue.

"Ah," she said seductively enough to bring Taki to shame, "so you let anger control it? That's too bad. Xin Shing was expecting more of the avatar when he met her."

"Using the full power of the avatar state would kill the prisoners too," Zakura replied, "so what I think I'll do is just give you a demonstration of my number-reducing abilities."

Zakura twirled around and used fire and water to obliterate a majority of the water tribe warriors and many of the Kyoshi warriors as well. The rest began trying to attack her, but to no avail. Aiku and Koara had joined Taki and were ridding the ship of the enemies. After seeing Zakura's outburst, many of them surrendered. They turned over what seemed like all the prisoners, and Zakura let them go because they surrendered and promised not to attack Zakura's group again.

Both ships took off towards the Fire Nation, and the enemy ship was heading there faster than they were, which also explained why they caught up to them in the first place.

"Zakura," said Maric a while later, coming up, "did you get my sister,"

Zakura stopped. Her eyes flickered again.

"No wonder they were in such a hurry," she growled, "Aiku," she said, "you and I have some business to settle on that other ship."

Aiku nodded. The enemy had just incurred The Fury of Zakura.


	19. Chapter 19: We Have Acquired Our Prize

Chapter 19: We Have Acquired Our Prize

"Actually," said Zakura, "you stay here, just let me at your glider for a second. This shouldn't be long."

"You're going to kill them all, aren't you?" Aiku asked,

"I told them surrender ALL the prisoners," Zakura replied, "and I still had a bone to pick with that Kyoshi leader. Judging from the way they treated their captives it looked as if they were going to kill them all. Besides, do you really think they were just going on a pleasure cruise?"

Maric gulped and looked at Zakura and Aiku.

"They were after me and my sister," he said, and then he explained Xin Shing's tactic of exploiting prodigious benders.

"Please don't let them take my sister," he said,

"Don't worry," said Zakura, twirling Aiku's staff and flipping it into glider form; she lifted her hat so they could see her eyes. They were glowing; "this is going to be a mercy-kill."

A quick airbending move later, Zakura had taken to the skies, spiraling towards the other ship with style.

The ship was far enough away by this time that the others could not really see what was going on. Zakura landed on the back wall of the ship, clinging to it and looking over at the deck. There was a circle of water tribe warriors, male and female, along with some Kyoshi warriors, who seemed to be using waterbending moves on a target in the center of their circle. Zakura crawled up the side of the ship and walked directly behind the Kyoshi warrior who she recognized as the leader. She was by this time able to see what was going on.

Zakura recognized the young waterbender they were pushing around as Malak. Her hands were again tied and she still has something tied around her head in her mouth. They were laughing as they pushed her around. Luckily for her, she had good footing and fast reflexes, so no matter how much they pushed her, she seemed able to stay on her feet. Considering how many thuggish looking men there were in the crowd, Zakura was sort of surprised that Malak still had all her clothes on.

"Dance, girl, dance," the leader taunted, and since Zakura was watching right behind her, she grinned. Suddenly, one of the people across from Zakura saw her, and developed a horrified expression. Zakura was actually a head shorter than the leader (Zakura used earthbending to peer over her shoulder, but far enough away that she didn't notice)

"THE AVATAR IS RIGHT BEHIND YOU," he yelled, and a bunch of people turned. Zakura jumped back, her eyes still glowing, and a nasty grin on her face. She crossed her arms.

"Play time's over," she smirked, "and that waterbender is mine."

She sent a wave of ice spikes at the Kyoshi leader, but she deflected them with her brass fans. Naturally though, she stood no chance against a fully realized avatar in the avatar state. Zakura jerked her head backward, spun around and took off straight up. From where she was in the sky, she answered them with a shower of fireballs which had most of her job done within seconds. She returned to the deck of the burning ship to find the leader of the Kyoshi warriors with Malak in her arms. Malak seemed to be rather beaten judging from her condition.

"You still want to play, avatar," she leered, "or are you really expecting me to think that this little waterbender is going with you?"

She kicked Malak in the gut, but again Malak's good footing kept her on her feet. This annoyed her, so she kicked her again. However, she did not fall down. Tears were falling down Malak's face.

"Stop keeping your balance," she barked, and a swift kick to the face sent the girl sprawling onto her face, where she didn't move. This set Zakura off. She suddenly darted forward trapping her enemy in rock and fire. Using Aiku's staff, she began making consistently hitting her using the staff more like a sword.

"Never... ever... treat... a child... like that... again..." she growled, and then froze the Kyoshi leader to the spot. Using Aiku's staff and the pointed part that came from it, she impaled her right through her throat, where she naturally stopped moving. Form there went to check Malak's health. She was barely breathing. It looked like getting pushed around had done some internal damage to her lungs. Zakura hoisted her over her shoulder and made her way back to their ship as their enemy's ship sunk to the depths. She landed gently, and said nothing to any of her friends. He simply took Malak below deck without a word.

"Is she alright," Taki asked,

Perhaps," said Koara, "that girl's not dead though. I know what just about any near-death sign looks like, especially from a waterbender. She was badly injured though—very badly injured.

"So no survivors, I take it," Aiku muttered, glancing at the smoking wreckage that they were slowly approaching,

"Obviously not," Taki shrugged, "either way, you've gotta sort of limit your sympathy, Aiku. They were either gonna fight us here or on the battlefield, so they had condemned themselves already."

They suddenly heard a huge banging noise, and a few seconds later, Zakura came up, fuming.

"That's the praise I get for bringing that kid's sister back," she growled, "that ungrateful little whelp..." she punched her palm and looked over the deck at the ocean.

"They were just children," said Aiku, "he was probably just scared because of the condition his sister is in. she got pretty beaten up."

Zakura said nothing.

"Calm down, Zakura," said Taki, as trying to keep Zakura's name a secret had sort of been defeated after the attack, as anyone could have recognized the avatar state even without seeing it. The people on the ship surprisingly all seemed to be either neutral or against The Order, and so she got a generally positive reception.

Zakura just grumbled and still said nothing.

"The Order says anything bad about me to them they'll side with them in an instant" she said after a while of silence, "or at least the boy will."

"So in other words, the boy's gonna join the Order," said Taki,

"Don't remind me," said Zakura, "I'm not in the mood."

"Time will tell," said Koara, "everyone used to tell me I was insane and was gonna wind up in an asylum within a year of my 18th birthday. Granted, they were right, but because I was perfectly sane and fully aware of what I was doing, I usually only spent a day or two there. People these days will believe anything."

"Calm down Zakura," said Aiku, gently putting a hand on her shoulder, "you have friends who love you. We're not going to let anything happen to you as long as we still draw breath."

"Love," Zakura muttered, "that's a powerful word—a word I never heard in my younger years; a word that I longed so desperately to learn the

true meaning of in my early days—a word I know that my family never has and never will use towards me."

None of the others said anything. For the rest of the trip (by now they were almost there) everything was normal. There was a brief stop at the area where the Western Air Temple was, where a few airbenders and a Fire Nation woman boarded. In this day and age, benders of all sorts were everywhere. Though she spent most her days in the Northern Water Tribe, Koara was actually born in the Southern Water Tribe. The story behind that was a long one, but Koara was not afraid to tell about it when someone asked.

They reached the Fire Nation with no further difficulty. Maric carried his sister off the ship, and everyone went their own separate ways. Zakura watched as Maric ran into a Fire Nation boy, surrounded by a few Fire Nation girls and an older cloaked woman.

"What's the matter, kid," said the boy, who looked about 16; Maric explained his situation and what had happened to his younger twin sister. However, he also blamed the avatar. Luckily by this time Zakura was out of sight. The woman took Malak's unconscious form from Maric's shoulders and felt her hand.

"She'll be fine," the woman said, "you go do your thing and I'll make sure she's as good as new by tomorrow. She's pretty badly injured."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"Because where are you going to go otherwise," said the boy, "we're willing to do it for free."

Maric grumbled and then decided it was for the best.

"Please do whatever it takes not to hurt her," he said, "I'll be back."

"Gladly," the boy smirked as Maric left, "excellent ploy, Zeruda."

Zakura, who had been walking back around the alleyway, heard that name and stopped. She raced over to the woman, the boy, and the girls.

"Zeruda, you say," she exclaimed,

"Ah," she chuckled, and pulled her hood off, revealing her elegant face; this was the former Fire Lady, whose husband was slain by the Order when Xin Shing took over. She, along with Tenoko, the former water chief's wife, and Iresu, the former Earth Queen, were part of a powerful and secret trio known as The Avatar Guard Secret Service, or the Secret Service for short.

"It's a clever gambit, Avatar," Zeruda chuckled, "that boy is bound to join The Order; but if he does, there's no way he'll see his sister again."

"You'd sacrifice his sister," Zakura exclaimed,

"Not even," Zeruda replied, "I can tell she's a gifted waterbender. She has excellent balance too." She began massaging Malak's right hand.

"This one is ours," she said, "This time We Have Acquired Our Prize"


	20. Chapter 20: Tomorrow We Fly

Chapter 20: Tomorrow We Fly

"So what are we going to do while Aiku and Zakura are gone," Zinjamyn said to the others, ruffling a passing Kimiko's hair. This made her scared and she turned around and scampered off.

"Poor kid," he remarked, "she's so timid."

"The last time she spoke out against anyone," said Cheng, "she was forced to watch her family killed in front of her. I wouldn't blame her."

"I wasn't getting after her," Zinjamyn shrugged, "I was just saying that I feel sorry for her; and to see that huge scar on her face..."

"It destroyed me," she said, and it looked like she was crying. "I hate every new day I remain alive, and yet I lack the will to end my own life."

Zinjamyn paused for a moment, "well, Kimi," he said, "I heard that in your younger years you were eagerly awaiting your 18th birthday. Your parents were proud of your eagerness to join them."

At once though, he paused, closed his eyes, and smacked his forehead, realizing what he had just said, and the painful memories he had probably just helped poor Kimiko bring up.

He was right. Kimiko started to cry—to just weep. She curled up in a ball on the ground and just wailed and whimpered. Little Altina appeared, walking into the room, still looking like a little ball of blue fluff with her little parka on. When she saw Kimiko crying, she put her tiny little hand on Kimiko's head and began rubbing it caringly like a little 2-year-old child would.

Kimiko actually looked up, and upon seeing Altina, she stood on her knees and scooped the child up, squeezing her tightly. Her little head, hands and feet were all that poking out from that little blue ball of fluff, and Kimiko found said ball of fluff fun to cuddle. She stopped crying and just continued fondling the child.

Naturally, Lehran came in a few moments later looking for her. He stopped in front of Kimiko, gently lifting her face so that she was looking into his eyes. He smiled lovingly at her.

"You like my little sister, don't you," he asked her,

"Aye" said Kimiko, "very much so. I want to keep her. She makes me happy; she giggles when you squeeze her, and she's so fun to squeeze."

Kimiko squeezed Altina again and she giggled playfully. Kimiko actually gave a weak smile.

"I can't let you keep her obviously," said Lehran, "but you can play with her whenever you want."

"So Zinjamyn," said Cheng, "what were you saying about the whole "while-we're-waiting" deal? That actually sounded interesting."

"What we do," said Zinjamyn, is we go south—far south—the Southern Water Tribe. We're going to lure them into attacking us there, and thus lure them away from the Fire Nation. They are on the southeastern bounds of the Earth Kingdom at the moment, so what would have to be done is that we'd have to get them to come south.

From what Ryuka said, we would just need to know where the Tribe has positioned their warriors, and if we can pick up a few Kyoshi Warriors along the way. Those girls are dead valuable, and are merciless fighters; always a good choice to have with you."

"Where do they run off to these days," Cheng asked, thinking about Taki at the moment (nothing new) as usual;

"Perhaps the city of Gaoling," said Mulan, "for surely The Order will not cross the desert when they can stick to the edge of the mountains. It's closer to the Southern Water Tribe anyways."

"But that would mean we would have to cross the Si Wong Desert." Said Zinjamyn, "and even today that means trouble."

Mulan actually chuckled.

"Zinjamyn," she said, "you're talking to an airbender. I would not have suggested it if I didn't know what I was thinking. The Northern Air Temple is at our doorstep. We all know the airbenders are for the most part all against the Order, and so if we made a stop there, I'm pretty sure they'd let us borrow a flying bison. It's how we airbenders usually travel to one of the other three temples—unless they're like me and are in a different part of the world."

"That sounds like a simple concept, Mulan" Zinjamyn shrugged, "but I'll let you do the talking. You're more likely to convince them than a scraggly guy like me."

Mulan chuckled, "so who are you going to take to Gaoling," she asked

"Anyone willing to come," Zinjamyn replied, "I think Sanaki, Alzar, Shinon, and Royota can hold this place down if the rest of us are willing to go"

"So that means Sanaki's not coming," Kimiko asked,

"I'm sorry, Kimi," she said, "but I'm blind, and it's cold down in the Southern Water Tribe. I can't feel anything in the cold."

"It's..." Kimiko stammered, holding back tears, "its fine."

"So are you coming, Kimiko," said Mulan, gently placing a hand on Kimiko's shoulder. Mulan was barefoot, and the sleeve of her robe slipped down to her elbow. Kimiko turned around, looking into the eyes of the loving young mother-to-be. She ran her fingers down Mulan's left arm, following the arrow tattoos she had. Mulan stared back with a gentle face—gaining Kimiko's trust was a feat.

"I will," she said resolutely, "for my family, for me, for the avatar."

Mulan smiled and gently put her arm around Kimiko. She was bound to be giving birth to her child at any time, and yet here she was, willing to go out and fight.

"Tell you what, Kimi," said Lehran, stepping forward, with an excited little Altina in his arms, "I'm going too. The Water Tribes, be it north or south, are a place I can call home. Zinjamyn, I'm in."

"Dandy," said Zinjamyn, "and I assume you'll come too, Cheng? That would be all of us but the ones I said would stay here to hold the fort."

There was a chuckling from above them. They looked up to see Alzar and Shinon and the 2nd tier above them.

"So that's all we're good for, eh, Zinj?" Shinon chuckled, jumping down, "I thought that Ryuka's warning had taught you better."

Zinjamyn laughed, "Well," he said, "Someone's gotta be in the Earth Kingdom. Ba Sing Se is huge; take a break, have a look around."

"Very funny," said Alzar, flipping herself over the tier and landing on her bare feet without a sound, "and yet you have a point. So be it."

Later towards sunset, Zinjamyn, Cheng, Kimiko, Mulan, Lehran, and Altina arrived at the Northern Air Temple, where they were welcomed by the Air Nomads, who recognized Zinjamyn.

"So Zinjamyn," said one of the head monks after everyone got settled. Cheng, Kimiko, and Altina were asleep; Lehran was up and about, and Mulan had actually gone into labor as they left Ba Sing Se. They were all glad (especially her) that she would most likely be giving birth in the sanctuary of the air temples, as it could have been problematic for Mulan anywhere else.

"Eh," said Zinjamyn, indicating he was listening,

"What brings the world's greatest earthbender to the Northern Air Temple at this time of the evening?"

"For one thing, a place to stay," Zinjamyn replied, "and for another, that airbender who is with us is bound to give birth within the next few hours. We figured that the airbenders were the most hospitable, especially with one of their own kind."

Although back in the older times the Northern and Southern Air Temples were exclusively male; and the Western and Eastern Air Temples were exclusively female, nowadays that was more relative, considering that 1200 years ago the air nomads had nearly faced extinction. There were males in the previously all-female temples and vice-versa, but they were outnumbered. Of course, since the air nomads were virtually all united, this made no difference.

"Also though," said Zinjamyn, "we were going to ask if we could take a flying bison to cross the Si Wong Desert."

"Well," the monk chuckled, "you're not part of The Order, are you?"

"Please, Ling," Zinjamyn laughed, using the monk's name, "would I have taught Avatar Zakura all she knows about earthbending if I was part of The Order?"

Ling chuckled, "very true," he said, "you would not."

For the most part, the airbenders were well-informed by this point about who the avatar was. However, not very many outsiders knew that the airbenders knew, and so the secret was generally well-kept.

"And since I know you're not part of the order," he said, placing his hand on Zinjamyn's shoulder, "we will grant your request tomorrow whenever you and your group are ready to leave."

Zinjamyn smiled. "Thank you, Ling," he said, and Ling returned it. A few moments later, they heard what sounded like an infant's cry. A Kyoshi Warrior who appeared more as a messenger rather than a nurse (this was the case) appeared, turning to Zinjamyn.

"Master Zinjamyn," she said, "the airbender has given birth."

"I see," said Zinjamyn, "I'm glad it happened here. Tell her that I'll be right in to talk with her."

"Oh, it's okay," said Ling, "if she's your friend, you should talk to her; especially with what recently happened with her and her husband. That must be terrible—poor woman..."

"If you insist," said Zinjamyn, going back into one of the back rooms where Mulan, her child, and several Air Sisters were. Mulan's child was a baby girl, and Mulan herself looked more relaxed then he had ever seen her. She smiled up at him, and yawned. Her baby was wrapped up in a neat little bundle in her arms.

"This is it, Zinjamyn," she said, "Tomorrow We Fly".


	21. Chapter 21: The Fire Lord and Lady

Chapter 21: The Fire Lord and Lady

Katara's life as part of The Order didn't differ much from her old life except that she had a place to live. The Fire Lord was going to tell her when she was needed. In the meantime, she was ordered to demonstrate her full prowess. This made her frightened.

"Every time I do that though I hurt myself—a lot," she said,

"You will not have to use your full prowess in combat," said the Fire Lord, "just enough to get the job done."

"Then what's the point," Katara asked bluntly,

"This is to see what rank of bender we can pit you up against," Orzon replied, "you might be able to match up to Xin Shing himself with a little bit of training here and there."

Orzon took Katara to an outdoor arena. It was deserted at the moment, but Katara noticed that it probably held thousands during and Agni Kai.

"Remove your shirt and your shoes," he said, and The Fire Lord himself actually did the same. Katara did as she was told.

"Let us see how your powers fare against mine," he said, "at your ready,"

Katara took a stance, and Orzon launched enormous volumes of fire at her. Katara crossed her arms in front of her face and was knocked back, but kept her bare feet planted and thus didn't fall down. She seemed to be gaining energy, which she vented through her arms back towards him. Orzon was able to absorb it and reflect it as well, and the two of them were roughly equal in power.

Orzon didn't mind this girl being more powerful than him, for she was but a tool in the grand scheme of things, and neither he nor anyone in The Order really cared what happened to a 15-year-old girl. However, her power made her a valuable tool, and thus she was watched over for the time being—until she became weak.

"You are as powerful as the Fire Lord himself, young girl." He exclaimed, "What did you say your name was,"'

"Katara," Katara replied, "Katara Altina II; named after my mother."

"Katara Altina II," said a voice, and Katara turned. It was Fire Lady Ayumi, and she looked ready to kill someone in an Agni Kai as well.

"The lady of the braced hands," she exclaimed, lifting one of Katara's arms up. The braces on Katara's arms that covered everything from her elbows to her fingertips were almost always seen on her.

"Take them off, girl," she snapped; she had haughtiness to her voice that Katara hated, "your pants too. You have more power than meets the eye"

Katara's undergarments went just about down to her knees, and since she wasn't in the mood to argue too, too much, she did. However, the issue with her arm braces as a different story.

"No," Katara replied, "they don't block power, they help me contain it. Without them I lose control."

"Stop your babbling," she snapped, and began undoing the brace on Katara's left arm, "You and I are going to face off, right here, right now. If you're as powerful as Orzon says you are, you will have no trouble beating me."

"Don't make me do this," Katara sighed, but Ayumi wasn't listening. She took the brace off of Katara's other hand and tossed the aside with Katara's other clothes. Already poor Katara could feel the energy building up in her arms.

"Shut up," she barked, and landed her foot into Katara's exposed stomach, making her stagger backwards a few steps. Katara was glad that Ayumi's shoes weren't like the heavy boots that Orzon wore. Ayumi was a harsh woman who seemed to contrast her husband. She was not sure about what Orzon said, but he seemed more merciful than Ayumi. The Fire Lady shot several powerful fireballs at Katara, acting like linked moves, and thus they all hit her and sent her sprawling. She didn't want to attack, lest she incurred the fury of Orzon for attacking his wife. However, she would later learn a different truth.

Ayumi continued to attack Katara, who was doing nothing to resist at this point. Her anger and fueling, and her pleas were ignored.

"Leave me alone," she said, you saw what I can do, and I don't want to hurt the Fire Lady."

"Silence," she snapped, and blasted Katara off her feet with a lightning bolt, sending her slamming into the back wall. Katara fell to her knees and then stood up slowly.

"Agni Kai," was her only words after that, and from here their fight commenced. Katara took a step back and then pointed her arms forward with sheer force. A huge wave of fire emitted from them, and blasted Ayumi upwards and into the stands. When she stopped, Ayumi was lying motionless in the stands. However, she somehow recovered and began jumping back down. While she did, she called for backup. Katara was surrounded by the Royal Guard, and a band of Kyoshi Warriors, all of which were trying to either disable her or capture her.

Katara, not comfortable with what she was wearing while surrounded by a bunch of guards, blasted her way through towards where her clothes were, and was able to grab her arm braces and her pants, and was now ready to let loose on anyone who came at her.

Such a thing did not take long to happen. They were powerful firebenders, but Katara was more powerful than Orzon and Zeruda combined. However, she lacked control, and this was her bane. Additionally, though her spirit was capable of outstanding power, her body was not designed for a spirit that powerful. Katara began scampering about, trying everything to avoid getting surrounded and attacking as little as possible. She didn't mind taking a few hits.

Considering how scarred her entire body was, a few more cuts and burns meant nothing to her. Within a few minutes there was fire everywhere, and the floor of the arena was in flames. It was not going to burn down, but the fact that there were flames everywhere made it dangerous. Katara ended up getting cornered, surrounded by flames.

This was where her final card came into play. She was standing with her legs far apart, and was smirking. One arm was down at her side, the other was in front of her face, two fingers pointing upwards.

"Say goodbye, ladies," she smirked, and her fingers began to crackle. Suddenly she sent a full-fledged lightning burst out that literally had enough force that it blasted clean through the bodies of anyone she pointed them at. She killed or injured all but the Fire Lady herself. It was here that Katara seized her by the throat and actually lifted her off the ground. Because of all the firebending she did during her spare time, Katara got lots of exercise, and was thus rather strong for her age as well.

"You willing to let up yet, woman," she snapped, "'coz to be honest, I think your husband is a lot smarter than you. Grow up, leave a teenaged girl alone, and go back to your business."

She dropped her, and began to walk back towards where she had discarded her shirt and boots earlier. It was here that Ayumi decided to launch a sucker punch and tried to hit Katara in the back with a lightning bolt. However, Katara spun around and redirected it at a Royal Guard who had decided to try and attack her. The results of this were rather gruesome, and Katara actually turned away. It was here that she felt an old hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Fire Lord Orzon. He was smiling.

"Spectacular," he said, "you could take on the Avatar Guard's Kyoshi Squadron almost single-handedly."

"Thanks, I guess," said Katara, pulling her shirt on, "can I go get some rest now?"

"No," said Orzon bluntly but not cruelly, "now you can challenge me."

"But," Katara stammered, putting her boots back on, "I'm exhausted. I can barely stand up properly anymore."

"Is the Avatar Guard going to care how tired you are," said Orzon,

Katara sighed, "I guess not," she said longingly, "but considering that your wife just came out of nowhere and tried to kill me..."

"Again," said Orzon, "another tactic that the enemy will use. Now stand up and get ready to fight me. This will not be to the death."

Katara sighed again, and then stood up. They sparred for a while, and Katara ended up overtaking him.

"Very good," said Orzon, but then he paused. "Behind you," he yelled,

Katara spun around and found herself face to face with a Royal Guard, who punched her in the stomach, knocking her down. He was a skilled firebender, but Katara was able to overpower him to the point where he surrendered. By this time Orzon had rested up a bit. Katara on the other hand, was exhausted and brilliant red.

"Please," she gasped, "can I rest now?"

"One more match," he said, "I still have more energy."

Katara continued to beat him, and every time she did a guard came out of nowhere. Orzon was working poor Katara far past her limit. Eventually though, he let her go, where she limped and staggered back to her room. She passed the giggling servant girls, and was so tired she didn't even come up with anything to rebuke them with. She threw herself onto her bed fully dressed and was down and out within seconds.

Katara didn't realize it, but they were truly using her. They cared for nothing about her, save her power. It was things like this that made poor Katara want to reconsider joining The Fire Lord and Lady.


	22. Chapter 22: Pray For The Best

Chapter 22: Pray For The Best

"It's too quiet around here," Alzar complained, "I miss Cheng and Taki."

"It really isn't quite the same with almost everyone gone," said Shinon in reply, "it even makes me wish Zakura was here."

Shinon mostly did this to see what Alzar's reaction would be. To his surprise, Alzar actually nodded.

"Truth is told," She said, "she really does keep things exciting. I... I guess I even miss her (though I can't believe I'm saying that)"

"Alz," Shinon laughed, why is there that rift between you and Zakura anyways? I never understood the relationship between the two of you."

"It's not very complicated, Shin," Alzar replied, "She likes to harass me."

"She likes to harass anyone, Alz," Shinon laughed, "what's the REAL reason you and her have the rift?"

"Rift," Alzar exclaimed, taking on a humorous Zakura-like tone, "what rift; little Alzie here and I don't have a rift."

"Alzie," Shinon exclaimed, actually laughing, "when has Zakura called you that?"

Her answer was a burst of flames, which Shinon barely dodged, and his immediate retaliation was a waterbending moved that flipped Alzar over.

"Bending battle, bending battle," said a little voice from behind them. Shinon glanced behind him to see Sanaki sitting cross legged on the ground, smiling. Her bangs covered her eyes, which, unlike Alzar's, had never functioned. However, Sanaki did not need eyesight to know how vivid a bending battle between the world's greatest firebender and the world's greatest waterbender would be. She did know though, to keep her distance, so she moved back.

Within seconds, fire and water of all sorts of intricate and powerful designs were everywhere. To watch these two benders fight was truly awe-inspiring. They were incredible. There may have been people who were more powerful than them or more intricate than them, or perhaps even some who had more control than them, but the reason they were declared the "best" was because, if there was a way to "add" control, intricacy and power together, their "scores" would be the highest.

Sanaki was soon joined by Royota, and shortly after, even Ryuka appeared. He simply crossed his arms and smirked. He ruffled Sanaki's hair and Sanaki giggled. Alzar and Shinon continued, locked in combat for a while until they both suddenly stopped.

"Why are we even fighting," Alzar asked, laughing,

"You ask me, Alz," Shinon replied, also laughing, but keeping his guard up in case Alzar pulled a fast one, "I just asked about a certain name and you kind of went nuts on me."

Alzar laughed and then sat back down in one of the soft chairs, getting comfortable. She was lying sideways, gently kicking her bare feet, her arms hanging down, nearly touching the floor.

"That's the Avatar Guard for you, Shin," she said, laughing,

"Isn't it now," said Royota, also laughing, "I served under Avatar Lahka of the Water Tribes as well. There have been amusing people coming and going from this place. Iresu, Zeruda and Tenoko were some of the younger ones back in my day; and them and their husbands were quite talented. I certainly do miss them."

"Well," said Ryuka, "after The Order took over the way they did, the survivors became The Avatar Guard Secret Service. It's amazing that they still haven't been discovered. They're the best of their kind."

"Aye," Royota replied, "I heard that Iresu was still in the earth kingdom; in this city to be exact,"

"She is," Ryuka replied, "why don't some of you pay a visit to her? Let the little blind girl get some fresh air."

Alzar suddenly grabbed Ryuka's arm, but Ryuka flung her off and backwards into Shinon's arms.

"Calm down, Alzar," he said, "I was talking about Sanaki."

"And so instead of making fun of the girl who was an idiot and brought it on herself you make fun of the one born like that," Alzar exclaimed, "Ryuka, I thought you were an honorable man."

Ryuka's dark eyes actually widened a little. Incidentally, once Sanaki learned that he was talking about her, she got angry as well.

"Whoa now," said Ryuka, grabbing Sanaki by the scruff of her neck, "calm down, kid. If I knew it offended you so much..."

"I'm 17," Sanaki bickered, "why do you all feel the need to treat me like a helpless baby? I was fending for myself perfectly well before I joined you. Why do you feel the need to treat me like I'm different? Just... just stop it. I'm no different than any of you. Just because I'm blind doesn't mean that I'm not a capable fighter, okay? Just... please; don't..."

"Perhaps you should get out more often, Ryuka," Royota chuckled, "Alzar and Sanaki have both mentioned that their eyes are a sensitive subject for them," Royota replied, "I would have a little respect for them if I were you."

"You know what," said Ryuka, "if you all are going to make such a big freaking deal about it then count me in. I'm going into town to get away from you all."

"In that case," said Alzar, laughing, "our plan worked."

Alzar, Shinon, Royota, Sanaki, and Ryuka next found themselves wandering through the streets of Ba Sing Se. They navigated into the middle ring of the city. Their base was located near the Northwestern outer wall of the city, sort of away from most of the other city. Of course, by this time the city was so huge that much of what was in the walls was city by now.

In the middle ring they ran into a pair of people that Royota seemed to recognize—a rugged man who looked to be in his late 30s, with dark skin, and long black hair in a ponytail. The person next to him was a young woman of about 17 with long, wavy brown hair and tanned skin as well. She was barefoot and was holding the man's arm. She was about to the man's shoulder.

"Cho Ling," he said, "it's good to meet you again. I didn't expect to find you here. Your wife Zuki seemed fonder of the rural area."

"She's more of that type, indeed," the man, named Cho Ling replied, "but alas, our city was recently taken over by The Order of the Avatar Slayer, and therefore we moved. It wasn't easy moving such a large family, but hey, Zuki is an amazing woman."

"I bet," Royota chuckled, "how many children do you two have now?"

"8 and another on the way," Cho Long replied proudly, "this one here is our eldest, Meili. She had her 17th birthday last week."

"So, where is that fine woman, anyways, said Royota, playfully pinching Meili's cheek. She jerked backwards. Royota noticed that her greenish-grey eyes never once faced him. Cho Ling's face dropped when Royota asked about his wife.

"She was kidnapped," he replied sadly, "yesterday. And I worry for her. You know how she is... she's so innocent. The Order could get her to do anything. Please, do you think you could help me rescue her?"

"Fear not, Cho Ling," said Royota firmly, "you have a family to watch out for. Let The Avatar Guard take care of this."

However, this was not the right thing to say, as they were soon surrounded by members of The Order, including Dai Li agents.

"That's conspiracy here in the city limits of Ba Sing Se," said one of the officers, "and I'm afraid we have the right to arrest you all. However, we'll be lenient and just take the blind girl."

"What," said Sanaki, "I said nothing?"

"Not you, girl;" said the officer, "that earthbender."

However, that was their last word, as "that earthbender" jumped out and made an expanding wall of earth around the group which expelled the Dai Li from their presence.

"Let's get, and let's do it fast," she said; she had a voice that sounded like it wasn't used often. "Not sure how long they'll stay out"

They were able to escape for the time being, and Cho Ling smiled.

"What do you think about her joining our group," said Royota to the others, including Cho Ling,

"I'm for it," said Cho Ling, "she's almost all grown up now and could use the experience. Besides, it's her mother that you all volunteered to go and save for us."

"I like another blind person," said Sanaki, giggling, "I agree."

"You do realize she might get killed, do you not," said Alzar,

"Aye" Cho Ling replied, "but she wanted to meet the world's greatest benders and fight beside them. I want her to be happy."

"I'm okay with it," said Alzar, "I was just making sure you knew."

"I do," said Cho Ling, "which is why I pray for the best. Please take care of her, alright?"

"Dad," said Meili, "I'll be fine. I'm coming back with mom."

Cho Ling embraced Meili one last time before letting her go with The Avatar Guard. He headed back towards his home, where his 2nd eldest, aged 15, was watching the family for a brief moment while these two were out. Meili was the only blind one of course, so her younger sister was able to watch the rest of the family with ease.

With the help of some of Zakura's money (a resource that was accessible to anyone who knew where Zakura kept it in their base) the 6 of them boarded the monorail, which would take them to the central part of the middle ring. During said trip, Alzar and Sanaki fell asleep, Alzar onto Shinon and Sanaki onto Royota. Royota took not notice and was conversing with Ryuka, and Meili was idly playing with the bracelets and anklets on her wrists and ankles, also curling the toes of her bare feet. She wasn't able to sleep, and being blind made it difficult for her to entertain herself. She was also thinking of her father's words—Pray For the Best


	23. Chapter 23: We've Been Expecting You

Chapter 23: We've Been Expecting You

After all was secured away the next day, Zinjamyn, Mulan, Cheng, Kimiko, Lehran, (and Altina) were packed and ready to leave.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay here a while," Zinjamyn asked Mulan, "I mean, taking a baby like that into the battlegrounds..."

"Is harder than taking the baby when she was unborn," asked Mulan, smiling, "I have doubts. And if master Lehran here and carry his sister, I believe I am capable of doing the same."

"If you insist," said Zinjamyn in response, "I just asked for your safety, you do know that, correct?"

"Aye," Mulan replied, "and I respect the fact that you care for me. Nonetheless, I still plan to go. The Order will make no difference as to who I am or where I am. I'm pretty sure my husband Ju Long as put me on their blacklist by now."

"Mulan," laughed Cheng, "you're an airbender. The Airbenders have been blacklisted by The Order for a long time now."

"Thank you for the obvious, Cheng," said Zinjamyn, laughing, "so are we going to leave this place, or not?"

"You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like," said Ling, chuckling,

"And were it not for this war, we certainly would, master Ling," Zinjamyn replied, "but alas, it happens to the best of us."

"It is understandable," Ling replied," and do remember: just because we Air Nomads are not actively taking part in the war its self does not mean that we cannot be used as a resource against The Order of the Avatar Slayer. We will support the avatar as long as she lives."

"And she will be glad to know it," said Mulan, "and therefore we bid you farewell, and I promise to take care of this majestic animal."

The sky bison did its flying job swiftly yet smoothly. They made a brief stop at the edge of the desert, near a sand-bender village. There seemed to be members of The Order here, but it appeared that they were out numbered by members of The Avatar Guard here, so all they could really do was grumble.

They restocked their supplies, fed and watered the sky bison, and soon were crossing the desert.

"Wow," said Cheng, his arms crossed over the edge of the enormous saddle used to carry people on these animals, "this is a whole lot of nothing out here."

"Fancy you should say that," said Zinjamyn, chuckling, "for according to my last experience in the Si Wong Desert, the other three benders and I were ambushed by Order sand-benders. Our business was and is our own, but the fact remains we could get shot at even from up here."

"Shot," Lehran exclaimed, trying to amuse a bored Altina; the little girl was bored out of her mind, for there was not even any extra water for her to play with. Mulan's child was fast asleep in her mother's arms, and said mother was in the corner across from Cheng facing Zinjamyn's back (for Zinjamyn was flying the bison)

"Aye, shot," said Zinjamyn, "all that they do is condense the sand into a ball and throw it; it's a very simple yet effective process."

"So what are we going to do if we DO get shot at," Lehran asked,

"We'll do what anyone else would when flying across the desert on a flying bison" Zinjamyn replied, chuckling, "land and fight back."

"Really now," said Cheng, most likely just saying it to give himself something to do,"

"Aye, Cheng," said Zinjamyn, who was losing patience, "now if you'll excuse me, I have a desert to fly a group of people over."

"Alright then," said Cheng, "then so be it."

Incidentally, Cheng's words came to pass. They eventually hit a place where there were Order members below them shooting blasts of sand up at them. Calmly, Zinjamyn landed the air bison a considerable distance away. Zinjamyn and Mulan were the ones to jump out first, and Zinjamyn told Cheng and Lehran to watch their ride and Lehran to watch Altina, as well as Mulan's baby girl. However, Cheng went along with them, and Kimiko stayed behind instead.

Being the world's greatest earthbender, Zinjamyn was able to compress the sand into solid ground, which he yanked up to use as a wall. He was pushing this wall forward with Mulan and Cheng behind him, and they were using it as a shield. Once they were in range of the sand-benders, all of whom had been trying to break the wall (they had done a decent job in the little time they had had), Zinjamyn stopped, punched the wall at just the right place and send fragments of it flying. There were a total of 18 sandbenders against the three of them.

"If I were you," said Zinjamyn, crossing his arms, I would abandon the attempts to fight us. We had no intention of harming you; we were not intruding on your lands or doing any damages whatsoever."

"You might not have noticed," Said what must have been the leader of the tribe, "but there's a war going on against the Avatar Guard and the Order of the Avatar Slayer. And you, master earthbender, are recognizable anywhere."

"If you really feel like you must challenge us," said Zinjamyn, "then we shall fight you. Prepare for the worst."

Mulan jumped ahead, her arms spread out and created a swirling vortex around the sandbenders. However, they were able to use the sand to their advantage. Since Mulan had made it around them as opposed to actually hitting them, all they had to do was expel the sand, and they did so—all towards Mulan.

Mulan used a powerful airbending shield to divert most of them away from her, and with Zinjamyn's help, more sand was thrown into the mix, blocking the two groups from seeing each other.

Suddenly, huge clumps of sand began shooting from the vortex; it seemed that the sandbenders were blindly testing their luck. They were actually able to leave a mark, and this was where Cheng and Zinjamyn decided they needed to get out of there. They were not sure what had hit her, but Mulan was bleeding across her chest, and seemed to be staggering when she got up.

"Let's get," said Cheng, hoisting Mulan over his shoulder, "if they can't see us we might be able to get out of here."

"We need Mulan to keep airbending that sand around that cyclone if we want to escape unseen," said Zinjamyn, "and she doesn't seem in any condition to do that for us,"

"No," said a weak voice that was clearly Mulan's, "just let me focus for a second. I'm not going to let you all down because of my own personal faults. Let me down once we get back to the others."

Once they were back with the others, Zinjamyn took no time in getting them off the ground.

"Yip, yip," he snapped, and the bison took to the skies. Mulan leaned over the edge, concentrating. She felt disoriented from the damage she had just taken, but was able to focus long enough to keep the spherical cyclone over the sandbenders for the time being. They made it away from that area safely. Other than Mulan being worn out and bleeding in some places, the rest of their party was fine. Since the only comfort Mulan wanted was to hold her baby girl again, the rest of the group figured that they were all alright, and probably were.

Lehran was gently massaging Mulan's back and shoulders, using waterbending to try and heal her wounds. Being a Serenes, which were a family of naturally gifted waterbenders and healers, he was able to help Mulan out a considerable amount.

Once Mulan stopped feeding the cyclone, it was not long before it died down. The sandbenders made a guess as to where they were going. They were heading approximately south-southwest from Ba Sing Se, which mean they were headed for Gaoling (which, in fact, they were), and therefore they had plans to meet them there.

Using their chain of sand-bender villages they had "taken over", they were able to swiftly pass the message on that part of The Avatar Guard was heading for Gaoling. What their intentions there were, were not known by The Order, but they knew that they would possibly be able to ambush them.

The rest of the trip to Gaoling was nothing out of the ordinary. Upon arrival they noticed that there were a lot of Southern Water Tribe Warriors, both male and female, there. Most of the Southern Waterbenders were on the side of The Avatar Guard, but there was no sure ways to tell which ones were Order members and which ones weren't—or so they thought.

As they were going through the city, Mulan and Cheng, mostly Mulan, was attracting attention because of her bright orange clothing. There were a few fire nation people here, but an air nomad was rare just about anywhere. Mulan noticed a method of how to distinguish which Water Tribe people were Order members and which ones were not (the earth kingdom citizenry here were not fighters, so they were not looking out for them).

"It's simple," she said, "watch for the ones that give you an angry glare, Zinjamyn; that's how you can tell they're part of The Order."

She was right. About 1 in every 5 people gave Zinjamyn a nasty look. Afterwards, he decided to try his luck and talk to one of them.

"Zinjamyn is it," he said, and Zinjamyn nodded.

"Aye," he said, "the woman with the infant child is Mulan, this kid's Lehran, the kid on his back's named Altina, and this is Cheng."

"Ah," the man exclaimed, "Zinjamyn... We've Been Expecting You."


	24. Chapter 24: Somewhere You Can't Follow

Chapter 24: Somewhere You Can't Follow

Malak came to her senses in a dark room. She was lying on her back in a spread-eagled position. At first she thought she was still in the hands of The Order, but she realized that she was still fully dressed, and so a wave of relief came upon her. She glanced around, but couldn't see or hear anything distinct. She wasn't going blind; it's just that in this dark room there was nothing to see but the dim light.

There was water dripping from somewhere, but Malak couldn't tell where. She tried to move her arms and legs, but couldn't. She jerked at them, and felt that she was bound at the wrists and ankles to the table. She began to panic, obvious signs of worry in the grunts she made. She struggled in vain to try and get free. Suddenly, a cloaked figure appeared beside her, and beside this figure was a teenaged boy.

"What do you want with me," Malak asked, not trying to hide the fact that she was frightened. "I don't want to hurt anyone, just let me go, please?" she curled her fingers, but not only was there no water in the vicinity to bend, but there was nothing she could do about her bonds. The cloaked figure gently put her hands around Malak's right hand. Malak knew it was a woman because once the woman had stepped into the light Malak noticed her face.

"I have no intention of letting you go, Malak," the woman said gently

"w-why," Malak stammered, her fear growing, "what are you going to do with me? What happened to my brother? Where am I? Who are you?"

She was panicking again and jerking at her bonds. Her clothing was padded, and covered everything but her head and her hands, so her wrists and ankles were not hurting from her jerking.

"Calm down, girl," said the woman again, "if it makes you feel better, I am former Fire Lady Zeruda of The Avatar Guard Secret Service. We are in the western lair of The Avatar Guard Secret Service. If you know how to find it then chances are we will in fact kill you."

"I don't know how to find it," Malak pleaded, "I just want to go home. What do you want with me?"

"We want your allegiance," Zeruda replied, "for your brother has gone astray. Did you know that he actually believes it was Avatar Zakura that did this damage to you?"

She put her hand on Malak's stomach and pressed and Malak cringed and yelled in pain. She had suffered considerable internal damage from being kicked around. There was also a cut on her forehead from where the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors had kicked her in the head, but that was only bleeding slightly, and not enough to get everywhere. For the most part, Malak was cleaned up by this time.

"He," Malak exclaimed, "he thought Zakura did this?"

"Aye," Zeruda replied, "he thought that Avatar Zakura, the woman who saved your life, was the one who attacked you."

"She saved my life," Malak exclaimed, "really?"

"Assuming her story is true; then aye," Zeruda replied, "tells me what you remember before you blacked out."

Zeruda was tactful. She had only tied the teen-aged girl up to make her more scared, and thus more inclined to give her the information she was after. She had no intention of harming Malak.

"I was getting kicked around by a bunch of warriors who seemed to find hurting me as really entertaining. Then that horrible Kyoshi woman kept kicking me just because I didn't want to fall down.

"Do you know why The Order wanted you," Zeruda asked,

"No," Malak replied, "I really don't."

"They want powerful benders in their younger years because by logic, if they are that powerful at that early of an age, they can become incredible fighters when they finish growing up. You're a prodigy, Malak, and yet there is still plenty to learn. The Four Benders were incredible prodigies, having mastered their respective elements at the age of 10."

"10," Malak exclaimed, "that's... that's incredible."

"Aye," Zeruda replied, "it was during my reign. But just because they had become 'masters' at their trade did not mean they stopped. They continued their vigorous training and still do to this day. In other words, Malak, what I am saying is, although you are a master, there will always be something for you to learn. You and your brother have great potential, which is why we also had our eyes on you."

"So," said Malak, slightly frustrated by this, "I'm just a tool in your big operation? Is that what it is?"

"Not at all," Zeruda replied, "we only 'require' our allies to fight when they are in the condition to, when they desire to, or when they are the proper age to do so. It's actually much more complicated than that, but to make a long story short, if you joined us, you would be sheltered—protected from becoming a tool of The Order. Your young age would exempt you from going to war if you so desired it. The Order, however, thinks differently. We are trying to protect those like you."

"So why did you tie me up like this," said Malak, again trying to break her bonds, and once again, failing to do so;

"I have my reasons," Zeruda replied, not about to say 'because it's more likely to make you give me the information I want'; "but do not worry. If I do somehow harm you, I'm sure this boy here will be glad to save you."

"Are you trying to "hook me up" with him?" Malak asked skeptically,

"Not at all," the boy replied, "what Fire Lady Zeruda means is that she has no intention of harming you."

"So, why am I still tied down," Malak asked,

"Because" Zeruda replied, "we don't want you panicking."

Malak sighed. "Just let me go, please? I'm not going to go run off and join The Order."

"Not a chance," said Zeruda, chuckling, "but it's not you we worry about, but rather, your brother. How united exactly are you two?"

"Where one of us goes, the other follows," Malak replied, "I usually follow him though, because he usually looks out for me."

"Your brother is joining The Order," said Zeruda, "we heard it from his own mouth. Will you follow him?"

"He never said that," said Malak, sounding worried, "did him?"

"Technically," said Zeruda's "he actually didn't, but his grudge against the avatar does not make him look like he's going to join The Avatar Guard, and usually when you learn just who these two sides are, you can't really remain neutral."

Malak said nothing. She seemed deep in thought, and yet also looked scared. She was clearly worried about Maric.

"My older twin brother," she said, her eyes watering, "turning against the woman who saved me? H-how could he?"

"It is not for me to know," Zeruda replied, "but now I understand your objectives. Would you like me to release you?"

"I... I want to stay here," she said, but her meaning was misinterpreted.

"Alright then, Zeruda shrugged, "we'll be back in a while to show you your room. You don't have to stay like that, you know."

Malak opened her mouth to say that she meant that aye, she did want to be untied, but no, she did not want to leave the base; however, she seemed to be able to think more clearly when she could do nothing else, and so was busy pondering what Zeruda and that boy had told her, and about Maric, and she wondered where he was.

"Maric," she whispered, "why won't you believe me when I say that the avatar is good? Don't leave me like this."

Unfortunately, he knew his brother too well, and knew that he was relentlessly stubborn. What would he say though when she told him that this was the one place where she could not and would not follow?

Malak continued lying there, and eventually, she got tired. Zeruda returned a while later and untied her. However, she seemed too weak to move. Zeruda checked to see if she was dying, and she wasn't. She nudged Malak slightly until she stirred.

"You alright, kid?" she asked,

"Aye," Malak replied, "I'm just tired is all. Can you show me my room?"

"Aye," Zeruda replied, hoisting Malak so her head was on Zeruda's shoulder; Malak yawned, "you're clearly really tired. Get some sleep."

Malak didn't need to argue, or even say that she agreed. The fact that she didn't move after Zeruda put her on the bed meant she was down and out. She didn't even cover herself up, and she was still fully dressed.

Zeruda looked down at her and smiled. She moved some of Malak's bushy hair aside and placed two fingers on her neck, feeling Malak's chi flow.

"You're a prodigy, no doubt," she muttered to herself, "and it's a pity your brother is against you now."

She strode away, still retaining the graceful stride she had had during her reign as Fire Lady, before Xin Shing and his invasion had cut it short. The Secret Service Western Base (their current location) was a huge basement of a beach house in a secluded part of the island they were on, and this of course, was where they were. Malak and Maric were separated by a few miles.

"Sometimes, Malak" Zeruda muttered to herself, smirking, "There are going to be times where he'll go Somewhere You Can't Follow."


	25. Chapter 25: She Won't Be Alone

Chapter 25: She Won't Be Alone

"So," said Taki, "now that we're here, what exactly are our plans?"

"We head a few miles east to the City of the Red Maiden," Zakura replied, "it's the Avatar Guard's equivalent to the Fire Nation capital." The only thing Zakura did to "disguise herself" was she actually did her jacket (ironically, like it should be) up to cover her stomach, mainly the jagged tattoo that she had there. She also removed her hat and set it on her upper back, as that was what a person did with a hat of that type. Both of these differences (mostly the first one) were rare for her.

"What about that girl," Taki asked,

"Zeruda's taken care of her," Zakura replied, "I'd trust Zeruda with anything. In fact, these are her armies we're going to go see."

"Zeruda has an army," Taki exclaimed; it was her asking most of the questions because out of this group, she was the only newcomer to The Avatar Guard. Koara was a long-time veteran who was a member during Avatar Lahka's life, and Aiku was one of Zakura's personal teachers, so they knew most of it anyways.

"Of course, Aiku replied, saving Zakura the trouble of coming up with some dumb witty remark, "well, it's not technically Zeruda's armies, but rather, The Avatar Guard and/or The Secret Service.

The four of them slipped through the city, not trying to remain hidden, but not making a glorious entrance either. They went into the eastern outskirts of the city (since west of the city was the port where they had landed) where Zakura ran into an old friend.

"What brings you here, Zak," he asked, for even many of the loyal members of The Avatar Guard did not know that Zakura was the avatar, but rather though that she was one of the avatar's personal bodyguards. Other than the personal members of her group, (Cheng got in because of Kimiko's connection, Taki got in because of Royota, and Lehran (and Altina) got in because of Koara) pretty much the only other people who knew that Zakura was the avatar were those she killed.

"Just a few things I wanted to check on, lieutenant" Zakura replied, "mainly the condition of the Western armies, particularly the 9th, 10th, 13th, and 18th divisions. You follow?"

"And the 21st division," Aiku added, inquiring about a power Avatar Guard division which was comprised entirely of Kyoshi Warriors. It was one of the smallest divisions, but one of the best.

"Ah," the lieutenant replied, "Admiral Koroda is the man you want, Zak; he's in the War Room at the moment; they were having a meeting of sorts. I'm sure though that someone like you could get in with no trouble though. They were talking about managing divisions this week."

"Aye," said Zakura, "thank you." she turned to the others, namely Taki and Koara, "you two follow Aiku. I'll return here by nightfall."

"So what about Division 21" Aiku asked,

"They're on Roku's Island," he said, referring to the island where long, long ago, a Fire Nation Avatar named Roku had lived and died. It had since been rebuilt and was a small peaceful community that also trained Kyoshi Warriors and a rare group of people known as Zuroc Sensei. Avatar Zuroc was a firebender avatar who had grown up in the Fire Nation. She was the distant descendant of a legendary high-ranking Fire Nation woman by the name of Mai, who was famous for her ninja skills.

"You know how to get to Roku's Island from here, right?" the lieutenant asked, "I'd take you there, but I actually need to report for duty. I'm gonna end up being on time instead of early. I'll see you around."

And with that, he was off. Aiku's nod had told the young man that he did in fact know how to get there, and so not much later, they were on a small boat towards the Island. Koara actually happened to know the man who ran the ferry. He was an aged man who looked like he could die at any given moment, but he had been good friends with Koara's husband. He was a fire nation man, and ferrying people to and from Roku's Island was his career in his final years.

"Your husband was a good man, Koara," he told her as he continued onward towards Roku's Island. Some people actually called it Zuroc's Island, because Avatar Zuroc had also settled down there, but that was about 700 years ago.

"I know he was," Koara chuckled, "you and him were the best of friends. That was back in the day before this whole Order mess came up."

"Aye," he replied, "I bet Cameni would like to know that you're doing well though, eh, Koara?"

"Aye," Koara replied, "I'm with my good friends here, Aiku, and a new friend named Taki." She introduced the two of them respectively.

"Well," said the old man, "we're almost there, so hold tight."

Finding the War Room was no easy feat unless one knew where it was, but fortunately for Zakura, she knew exactly where it was. Upon her entrance, she was recognized (as "Zak" of course) there were people wandering about, Kyoshi Warriors, and even a few of the dark red-clad Zuroc Sensei. Their main objective was not to be seen when on a mission, and so seeing one outside was a rarity.

Zakura made it to the huge doors that led to the actual War Room and right as she set her hand on the door two Zuroc Sensei appeared out of nowhere and had already shot chains from wherever that had locked Zakura's arm down. They had adapted the idea from the Dai Li long ago.

"Whoa," said Zakura, "what's the big idea?"

"You are not allowed to enter The War Room at this time," one of them replied. His voice was low, and Zakura figured that unlike the Kyoshi Warriors, Zuroc Sensei could be of either gender (though the only ones she had seen [on the rare occasion anyone HAS seen them] were female)

"Admiral Koroda and the leaders are having a war discussion about the armies of The Avatar Guard."

"Well tell them," said Zakura, closing her eyes, "that the avatar is here to discuss them with him." She opened her eyes, and entered the avatar state just for bragging rights, and to show these two Zuroc Sensei that she was going in regardless. Using her power, she broke the chains around her arm and calmly opened the doors, watching the two Zuroc Sensei disappear back into the shadows. She knew that those two would not tell anyone, as part of the Zuroc code of honor, they revealed nothing to anyone, friend or foe.

"Ah, Princess Zakura Ishiko," said the man in charge of the operation, who was obviously Koroda, "what brings you to our war council?" He was using Zakura's last name, and the social status by which she should be rightfully known as.

"The war itself," Zakura replied, "what were your current plans?"

"Well," Koroda replied, smiling, "we had actually begun our discussion with tactics in the Water Tribes. Is that your concern?"

"Well," said Zakura, "In a way everything is, but I caught your dual-meaning. My main concern is actually The City of the Red Maiden pitting itself against the Fire Nation Capital. I came to inquire about the 9th, 10th, 13th, and 18th divisions."

"They are idle at the moment, Lady Ishiko," said one of the commanders, apparently in charge of one or more of said units;

"Excellent," Zakura replied, "we'll use them and some of our Fire Nation naval force. Granted, they will likely utilize the gates of Azulon, so what would be our strategy there, general?"

Koroda laughed, "Two words:" he said, "Water Tribes. But do you really think that that group alone will be enough to challenge the capital?"

"Not at all," Zakura replied, "I've got Aiku and some friends of mine out to recruit Division 21."

"Ah," Koroda replied, "so basically we're going to massacre the capital then? Or is there a catch?"

"There is a catch sir," said one of the other generals "has anyone else heard about the girl Katara Altina II?"

"The name seems to ring a bell," said Koroda, "but I can't connect a face to the name just yet..."

"The lady of the braced hands," the general replied, "we are not sure of her current position anymore, but it doesn't appear that she's joined us"

"Hmm," Zakura muttered, "if there's no reports of her on our side, do you really think that The Order has let her go unnoticed? Gentlemen, we might be in for a real challenge. If the tales I hear about that young girl are true, then she could be a one-woman army. We need our best warriors for this, particularly any immune to fire."

"I can see why you wanted the divisions you did then," said Koroda, "I will be sure to inform them of this. Is there confirmation of this?"

"I'm the avatar," said Zakura, chuckling, "you'll believe me or I'll hit you."

This caused the others to laugh as well.

"Still," said Koroda, "I have uneasy feelings about that young woman. I knew that I had heard of her. She is indeed very dangerous."

"That was part of the reason I came here," Zakura replied, "I've seen her before... part of a vision—illusion—something like that. But aye, the only thing we can really do is warn the armies of her. I personally think that she could be the most dangerous single enemy we've faced."

"Agreed," Koroda replied, "and remember, She Won't Be Alone."


	26. Chapter 26: The Smash Master

Chapter 26: The Smash Master

"So Royota" said Ryuka, "where exactly do we plan on looking for Zuki,"

Zuki was the name of the woman they were looking for, and was also Cho Ling's wife and Meili's mother. However, Ryuka was in for a slight surprise, as it was Meili who answered him, not Royota.

"There's a place here in the middle ring notorious for crime" Meili replied, "stealing, slave trade, illegal bending tournaments, murder, you name it."

"That sounds like the sort of thing you'd find in the lower ring," Shinon commented, "you mean to say people get away with it up here?"

"Aye," Meili replied, "I thought you of all people would know about the way The Order runs things."

"If anything, girl," said Ryuka, "they wouldn't; being the most opposed to such a group. What exactly do you, a young child, know about The Order of the Avatar Slayer?"

"I know all sorts of things," Meili replied bluntly, "for now, I know that you, my non-bending friend, need to stop thinking that just because I'm blind and partially deaf doesn't mean that I'm stupid. Once I meet a person, I never forget them. Each person's movements, both internal and external, are unique. The sooner people realize that just because I'm blind doesn't mean I'm stupid, and acknowledge that I "see" far more than they ever will, the happier they'll become. Right now in fact, we are crossing over top of part of the underground city where said actions take place. It's kind of hard for me to 'see' exactly what's going on because of how fast we're moving, but take my word for it, or don't."

Upon their arrival, they stepped out, Meili in the lead.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said Meili, "we are now officially on top of one of the entrances to The Underground." She bent down and put one of her hands on the ground as well.

"Aye, nothing has changed," she said, "the slave trade seems to be the prize still. We're going down there."

"We did make a promise," said Royota, and using earthbending, he lowered the ground they were standing on and covered their tracks with additional earthbending.

The Underground, as it was called, was a vast expanse of city underground, which seemed to be a haven for crime. Though the entrance they used was on the border of the middle ring, it seemed that most of it was underneath the lower ring, as would be expected. It was unlikely that anyone actually lived down here, but there was always something going on: someone getting hurt or killed, something (or someone) being sold illegally, and all sorts of things along those lines. It was surprisingly a rather secretive place though, and as a result one could get away with a lot down here. Meili had actually separated herself from the group, and had returned later with a sack of gold.

"Where did you get that?" Sanaki asked; for other than Alzar, who was accustomed to money, only Sanaki could sense that she had obtained it, for she had hidden it.

"Stole it," Meili replied straightforwardly and bluntly, "duh"

"You seem to be awfully familiar with this place, child," said Ryuka darkly, "do you come here regularly,"

"Aye," Meili replied, "and this time I'm gonna come fight for my mom's release. That's half the reason I led you all here."

"And she was a smart young lady for doing so, Ryuka," said a gentle voice from behind them. A hand appeared on Ryuka's shoulder, and he, Royota, and Shinon (all those who could see) turned. It was another cloaked woman, whose cloak was reminiscent of Zeruda's only green. This was the giveaway as to who this was.

"Queen Iresu," Royota exclaimed, bowing slightly to follow tradition, though technically she was no longer queen of the Earth Kingdom, "why are you of all people down here?"

"Why not," Iresu replied, "I'm one of the people who helps keep some of this place in check, and, it's almost as secretive as the Secret Service Base in this part of the world."

The Avatar Guard Secret Service had 5 "bases", one in the north, one in the south, one in the east, west and one in the middle since the others were so far apart.

The northern and southern bases were located in the respective water tribes, the central base was hidden in the earth kingdom, the western one was in the fire nation, and the eastern one was in the eastern air temple, which made one in each nation. The Order had bases like this as well, but just like they did not know where the Secret Service had theirs, the Avatar Guard did not know where The Order's bases were.

"So what is your current objective," Royota asked, telling them theirs,

"It's virtually the same as yours," Iresu replied, "I fight there and win people out of that hole. It's a very simple concept, and it's easy to win your money (or money's worth) back because so many people come in and die. Are any of you going to play?"

"Hmm," Shinon chuckled, "I think 'play' is a bit strong of a word, eh?"

Alzar chuckled, "we all know you don't want to, Shin" she said, "Personally though, I think this little blind kid and I could take a few out together, eh, Sanaki?"

Sanaki hugged Alzar. They were both in fact related, though how exactly was unsure. Nonetheless, the fact that they were both descendants of the legendary Fire Lady of old remained. Incidentally, though Alzar was an irritable woman who would have probably thrown anyone else off that she didn't know too well, this time, she put her arms around Sanaki and smiled.

"Any other takers," Iresu asked, "or do we sign up now?"

Royota chuckled, "lead the way, Iresu," he said, and 10 minutes later, he, Shinon, and Ryuka were in the stands, watching the conclusion of the 172nd battle of the day take place, which involved a Zuroc Sensei driving a sword through a female waterbender's throat.

Meili had paid with some of the money he stole, and Iresu had paid Alzar and Sanaki's ways as well as her own. There were 2-on-2 fights here as well, hence the reason Alzar and Sanaki signed up. There was no official starting or ending to this game—as long as there were fighters and spectators (of which there almost always was) it would go on.

Shinon, Royota, and Ryuka watched and waited for one of their friends to appear, and it was not long before they did.

"And now," said the announcer, "for round 176, 'The Dark Avenger' will be facing 'The Smash Master' in a battle of stealth and earth"

"The Dark Avenger" was the Zuroc Sensei who had killed the waterbender in round 172, and "The Smash Master" was Meili, for she was the one to (literally) smash out of the stone wall and fly onto the field. Killing your opponent was not necessary, but the crowds sort of encouraged it, and it reduced your opposition.

The fight began at once, and Meili's first tactic was to bring a wall of earth that completely enclosed her. The only people this technique did not work on were earthbenders, who would use it to try and crush her. However, she actually had ways to prevent them from doing so; but since her enemy this time did not appear to be an earthbender, and so Meili remained in her box. In here, she sensed who her opponent was and how they moved. Aggressive fighters would try to break her wall, and defensive ones would be watching for movement.

This fellow seemed to be making erratic movements that lowered Meili's predictability. Considering though that he was a Zuroc Sensei, predictability was not something to expect. After about a total of a minute inside her earthen box, she smashed it apart, sending pieces towards her opponent. He dodged them with little effort, and the two of them continued fighting, Meili's detection skills holding out, but not as good as they could be. Meili's skills held out, but there was one time where before Meili could detect what happened next, there suddenly were three staggering gashes across her chest.

Meili fell to her knees. This was where her game began. She fell on her face and actually dug her right hand into one of the gashes on her chest to make it bleed more. She thought her enemy would end there, but to her dismay, she suddenly felt 2 sharp objects hit her in the back. The Dark Avenger flew over her swiping them up and Meili knew he was closing in for the kill. However, she had one last tactic.

She raised her hands as if she was surrendering. She actually by now figured that he would have some unorthodox method of killing her, and was right. Right as she did, a knife came flying at her throat. However, because of the metal—a purified, refined form of earth—in the knife, Meili detected it and using a quickly-made rock fist actually smashed her fist into it, deflecting it. The trajectory of the knife and the miscalculate movement of the Zuroc Sensei actually caused it to nearly sever his head off. His head was only hanging by a small amount of flesh, and he was clearly dead.

"And the winner of our 176th match is The Smash Master!"

Meili limped off of the battlefield. She took a spot in the stands where her bare feet could clearly 'feel' what was going on, despite her soles being covered in blood from stepping in it. Though she was away from Shinon, Royota, and Ryuka, she was still planning on joining them after this was all over. For now though, she was just glad that she was still alive and still able to retain her title of The Smash Master.


	27. Chapter 27: The Blind Dragons

Chapter 27: The Blind Dragons

Meili was able to feel (her way of watching) the next 3 matches. At the beginning of the 4th match from hers (thus making it the 180th match) she was actually beckoned by the man running the game to come and claim her prize from an array of many. Among these "prizes" were actual people, and among these people was Zuki, Meili's mother. Naturally, Meili did not think twice before choosing her mother, where she stepped forward and Meili took her hand. Zuki, who was a very forgetful and often times clueless woman, thankfully did not recognize Meili, for her condition would have made her mother sick with worrying.

"Zuki," said Meili once they were out of the public, "do you know where to find Cho Ling from here?"

Zuki stopped and looked slightly clueless,

"No," she responded, "Zuki doesn't know how"

Meili earthbended the two of them back up to the surface, which was in a deserted alleyway. Meili knew what places it was generally safe to surface at without getting caught by law enforcement and that was how she was able to manage.

"Does Zuki know how to get home from here?"

Zuki looked around.

"Aye," Zuki replied, "Zuki knows how to get to Zuki's house from here. Thank you so much for freeing me."

"No problem," Meili replied, shrugging and hoping Zuki wouldn't recognize her yet, "now run along, Zuki, and don't talk to strangers."

Zuki might have been Meili's mother, (and was 38 years old) but she was as innocent as little Altina Serenes. Granted, she knew how life was and how it worked and such, but she was gullible—she would believe anything a person told her. Nonetheless, Zuki was actually able to run home safely. She was still wearing the same beautiful, long-sleeved blue-green dress she always wore, the little green shoes on her feet making no noise against the streets, and her ankle-length dress billowing as she glided surprisingly gracefully away.

Zuki was, in reality, not only a very strong and powerful woman, but also was a powerful earthbender, and was very flexible, and incredibly beautiful. The feature about her that made her stand out was a huge red scar on the left side of her face, and yet for the most part, everyone considered her beautiful, as the scar had ended up turning various shades of brilliant red. It was because of her innocence, gullibility, beauty, and raw skill that she was often targeted, and that was why her family, namely her husband and eldest daughter (Meili) always did their best to protect her.

Once Meili felt that Zuki was close enough to home (and out of her feeling range) she disappeared below the ground again. She was just in time to see (or rather, feel) the 182nd match commence. This one was a two-on-two match.

"For our 182nd match," the announcer boomed, we have a metalbender-waterbender team called 'The Cold Steel' on one side, and a team of firebenders known as "The Blind Dragons" on the other."

"The Cold Steel" was a burly waterbender and a thinner earthbender who was clad in metal armor. Alzar and Sanaki, who were "The Blind Dragons", learned that the earthbender was also a metalbender, as he would bend the armor into all sorts of intricate weapons. The waterbender was swift and he seemed fonder of ice rather than water.

Once the fight began, things became hectic and fast-paced immediately. Huge bolts of ice came shooting towards the firebenders, and they immediately retaliated with blasts of fire. Alzar and Sanaki both noticed that their opponents seemed to be their own individual people, rather than fighting and using their teammate's moves to their advantage, like Alzar and Sanaki did.

In the meantime, the metalbender seemed to be effectively endangering the two of them, using his huge metal weaponry to keep the two of them apart. They could not decide if they wanted to target the metalbender first or the waterbender, as the waterbender was shooting saves of ice at the ground and making the overall temperature of the area around them lower, which made it harder for both Alzar and Sanaki to "see", as both women were blind (one by "her own stupid mistake", the other born that way). Nonetheless, their opponents kept themselves warm, and so Alzar and Sanaki were able to pinpoint them.

IT seemed that initially they were trying to eliminate Sanaki first, but Alzar would notice, get in their way, take a hit or two for Sanaki, and they'd divert to her, giving Sanaki an opening for an attack on them.

Occasionally Alzar and Sanaki would switch roles, Sanaki taking the hit for Alzar, and Alzar attacking the others, so all in all, all four players were cut and bruised within a few minutes. By now there was ice all over the floor, but since both women were also barefoot, that was easy enough to detect without their heat-senses on full function.

The four of them continued fighting, the members of "The Cold Steel" mostly on the offensive, and Alzar and Sanaki mostly on the defensive. However, they also had speed on their side, so they were able to link together some rather powerful fire and lightning-based moves.

Alzar would stall for a moment while Sanaki got her energy together and made a fireball; she'd kick it towards Alzar, who would proceed to jump kick it, while adding flames to it from her foot. This was especially overwhelming to the metalbender, as the heat from his armor was starting to get at him. The waterbender, noticing this, started taking the offensive with icy blows towards Alzar and Sanaki's hands and feet that left it difficult for them to attack. However, their hands were still for the most part usable, and they still had one more trick.

"There's a reason they call us "The Blind Dragons" they both said simultaneously, and suddenly, two huge streams of fire spewed from the mouths of Alzar and Sanaki, both aimed at the icy attacks. The heat was intense enough that the temperature became high enough as to no longer permit ice. However, these two, like The Blind Dragons, were not finished.

The metalbender created a sword, and the waterbender was using one hand to attack the firebenders, and his other hand was shooting projectiles at his partner's sword while he swung it, thus launching them at the girls as well. Surprisingly, though simple this concept sounded, it was battering Alzar and Sanaki, and they were starting to lose their focus because of damage to their hands and feet. However, the more they got hit, the more their fury was building—they were not about to lose, and they figured that since these two were not going to show mercy, that they would show nine.

Alzar suddenly pointed two of her fingers towards the waterbender, and shot a huge blast of lightning at him. The metalbender, knowing that his armor would reflect lightning, dove in the way, and it glanced off of his large chest-plate and went towards Sanaki.

Apparently they did not think Sanaki was a prodigy, for they did not expect her to be able to redirect the lightning back at the waterbender and destroy him—something that she actually did. The crowds actually gasped in surprise.

"And the little girl pulls off an AMAZING stunt that I didn't think she had in her. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, that little 17-year-old girl just redirected tat enormous lightning blast."

The metalbender, realizing that his teammate was down and out, was now fighting desperately, losing all previous sense of planning his moves out. Alzar and Sanaki started circling him, cornering him, and the fact that they both had mischievous smirks on their bloody, half-concealed faces (being concealed by the distinct long bangs that ran into their face that all descendants of the legendary Fire Lady were famous for) could only mean one thing—he was doomed.

And indeed he was. Within seconds a barrage of fireballs from both women had bombarded the man, bringing him to his knees in defeat, and death. The crowds, who always enjoyed a killing, were going wild. Alzar and Sanaki both couldn't focus too well because of the damage on their hands and feet, but they were in a better condition than Meili.

Sanaki pointed her out to Alzar, and took her hand, guiding her to where they could sit by their new earthbending friend, who looked much worse than they did. When she detected their presence, she turned to them and smirked. She was clearly just as pleased as they were.

"Nicely played," she remarked, "that was an interesting team."

"Your performance wasn't too shabby either, Meili," Sanaki replied, "and I'm glad to hear that your mother is Okie now."

"Aye," said Meili, "but hey, at least you two aren't just a big bleeding mass like I am right now."

"Are you okie," Sanaki asked, "It feels like you should be dying,"

"Eh," Meili shrugged, "I'm a Meisha; I come from a real tough family."

"Ah," said Alzar, "our family is a bit different, having different strengths and weaknesses as you know of course."

"Indeed," Meili replied, "and there's nothing wrong with it. You two seem to make blind people look better than the rest of normal people.

"You don't give us a bad name either, girl," said Alzar,

"Oh, oh," said Sanaki, "Iresu is about to fight,"

They all turned, Sanaki and Alzar's hands open to feel the heat of the upcoming match, and Meili's feet firmly on the ground, ready to feel each and every action. They were all excited right now, and both Alzar and Sanaki were even happier, having been able to band together and score a glorious win as The Blind Dragons.


	28. Chapter 28: Now We Just Wait

Chapter 28: Now We Just Wait

The water tribe man led Zinjamyn, Cheng, Lehran, (and Altina) Mulan, and Kimiko through the city until they stopped at what seemed to be an old Earth Rumble Stadium. Gaoling was the city where Earth Rumble originated, and it had obviously grown and expanded, with the Fire Nation and Water Tribes adopting a similar type of game as well.

In the city of Gaoling though, there were countless stadiums, and so to find one that was no longer in use was no surprise. Upon their arrival, they learned that there were several other water tribe warriors here, male and female. At the center of this group was a water tribe woman dressed like a Tribe Chief with a bottle of something in her hand.

"Tenoko," Zinjamyn exclaimed, "what brings you to the Earth Kingdom?"

The woman turned to face Zinjamyn. This was Chief Tenoko, the wife of the original Water Chief who reigned before Xin Shing's group had taken over. She was a feisty and witty woman who sort of seemed to be in her own little world at times. Nonetheless, she was someone to take seriously, for she always had something interesting to say.

"Well actually," she said, "I was just addressing the commanders of the 3 divisions left in Gaoling telling them what to do. The Order armies heading for the Fire Nation will hopefully be diverted by the Southern Water Tribe's seeming lack of organization. Once we get to the main city though they'll get whacked easily enough. The rest of my business in Gaoling was my own. What about you?"

"We were here for that same reason," Zinjamyn replied, "and we also came to enquire about the Serenes Waterbenders."

"The village of Serenes got whacked, did it?" Tenoko asked; she had a certain sense of slang that sometimes made her hard to understand, but Zinjamyn was one of the people who knew it well enough that he never had a problem trying to decode her language.

"No," Lehran replied shyly, "they were captured in the Northern Water Tribe. Do you know anything about what happened to them?"

"And who is this," said Tenoko, turning to Lehran, who started to shy away with Tenoko staring right at him and Altina on his back. However, Tenoko seemed to know exactly who he was.

"You're a Serenes," she said, "they never look directly into people's eyes."

Lehran said nothing, but looked down at the ground.

"m-my name's Lehran," Lehran replied nervously, trying not to turn and run, "this is my younger sister Altina."

"Aye, you're a Serenes alright," Tenoko replied, "so other than them not getting whacked what else do you know about 'em?"

"They were taken by The Order's most recent invasion of the Northern Water Tribe," Lehran stuttered, "and I heard they were being taken south as well. I am not sure where exactly, but I assume somewhere far."

"Well boy," said Tenoko, "if I didn't know The Order, I'd be baffled, and since you can go just about anywhere in the Northern Water Tribe and you'll be going south, that would just heighten the issue a whole load. However, knowing The Order, they'd probably want us to think they're in some sort of desert prison."

"So you suppose that they are in the Si Wong Desert," said Cheng,

"Not in the slightest," Tenoko replied, "that's what they want us to think. They know that the Serenes Village is full of gifted waterbenders, and so I assume that instead of killing them that they will try to convince them to join their side. I think though, that instead of putting them in a dry place, perhaps they chose one such as the Southern Water Tribe."

"The Southern Water Tribe," Lehran exclaimed, "why there,"

"Because it's water," Tenoko replied, taking a huge drink, "they want us to think "why would they take a group of waterbenders to a water tribe?" and it's actually pretty smart. Nonetheless, if we sidestep all of that jazz we can logically deduct that they have taken them to The Southern Water Tribe, which means we can kill two buzzard-wasps with one rock this time around. We'll get your family back out alive, kid, and we'll whack those Order boozers out of The Southern Water Tribe."

Zinjamyn and Mulan both chuckled. Mulan may have not been an official member of The Avatar Guard until just recently, but she knew Tenoko, Iresu, and Zeruda, for she had met the three of them before.

"Tenoko," said Zinjamyn, "one thing certainly hasn't changed about you: you're still the same old crazy drunken Water Tribe Chief that we all knew and loved."

"What do you mean 'knew and loved', eh Zinjamyn?" Tenoko exclaimed, "you mean to say that you people don't love little Tenoko no more?"

Even Cheng started chuckling by now, and Altina was giggling.

"My mistake," Zinjamyn laughed, "you're still the same old crazy drunken Water Tribe Chief that we all know and love."

"That's better," said Tenoko, "it makes me feel loved."

"I'd reckon that someone as popular as the former Water Chief will always be loved, Tenoko," said Cheng, though it almost seemed out of place for him to say it. However, though he set himself up to be made fun of a lot, Tenoko actually smiled at Cheng.

"Boy," she said, "I've never heard truer words."

Everyone laughed except Kimiko, who was too shy.

"You were a fine Water Chief, Tenoko," said Lehran kindly, "and you will be remembered as such, like you are among the Serenes Family."

"Ah," she said, "so your family respected me too; I always thought they were their own little colony."

"Not at all," said Lehran, though he still seemed nervous; "we respected you and your husband as the Chiefs of the Water Tribe like any other loyal Water Tribe person would."

"My apologies then," said Tenoko, "for it was a misunderstanding."

"it is nothing big," Lehran replied, "I was just reassuring you that the Serenes Village was and is just as loyal to the Tribe Chief—or, now, The Avatar Guard, as the rest of your supporters."

"Aye, you're a true Serenes, alright," said Tenoko, "they have a certain style of speech—a certain selfless attitude. They were always a group I admired, and yet I didn't feel like I should question whether or not they supported me, since they were such a peaceful settlement."

"Well," said Cheng, "now that that has been clarified, what are your plans, Chief Tenoko?"

One might think that interrupting a Tribe Chief would bother them, but Tenoko seemed not to notice.

"Ah, right," she said, "plans, plans, what to do; ah, now I remember: this 39th division is going to the Southern Water Tribe, and you all are gonna hitch a ride with them if you want to. The 34th and 40th divisions will remain here with the 36th, 37th, and 33rd divisions from the Earth Kingdom. Their purpose is basically to give The Order Divisions that we're a bit disoriented as to our placements. They know we're trying to bait them with the strike to the Southern Water Tribe, which is why we stationed Southern Water Tribe Warriors in places where The Order is powerful and its numbers high."

"Have they overrun Gaoling," Zinjamyn asked,

"Not even close," said Tenoko, "but with a city this size there's a lot of them here. There's also a lot in the Fire Nation Capital, so we even went to the extent to position some Southern Water Tribe Warriors there. Many of the fighters in this war are not gonna be Water Tribe Warriors, but I think rather Earth Kingdom Military and Fire Nation Soldiers. Zeruda loaned me several of her troops."

"Wait," said Cheng, "if you all control different parts of The Avatar Guard's Army, how are you united?"

"Simple," said Tenoko, "dividing the troops up by nation was the easiest option. They're easier to keep track of that way."

"So," said Zinjamyn, "what do you know about Division 35?"

Tenoko's eyebrows went up, and she suddenly gave off a huge smirk.

"Now you're speaking my language," she said, hitting Zinjamyn on the shoulder, "you want to take the Kyoshi Warriors of Division 35 as well"

Like Division 21, Division 35 was one of few that were comprised entirely of Kyoshi Warriors, and was therefore very valuable. Out of the many divisions of the military that either group had, there were about a total of 10-15 divisions comprised entirely of Kyoshi Warriors, and supposedly also 1 or 2 of Zuroc Sensei.

"So I take it you've planned ahead," said Zinjamyn, smirking,

"Aye," Tenoko replied, "they're hidden in the shadows of the Water Tribe city of Toku. You can't hit the central part of the Water Tribe without passing by Toku. We'll strike them on the way. The entire populace of Division 35 is willing to sacrifice their lives if necessary."

"So are we going to follow them from here," Zinjamyn asked,

"Of course we are." Tenoko replied, "And so we shall."

The next thing they knew, they were on a ship with the 39th Division en route to the Southern Water Tribe. Unlike Taki's boat trip, Cheng's boat trip was peaceful and for the most part uneventful, which, ironically, was a good thing. They were able to leave Gaoling without a hitch.

Their only worry was a 16-year-old earthbending master named Vigo, who had stopped to talk to them. He was nice, but seemed naïve and Zinjamyn dubbed him as a boy who might join The Order. He said he was against The Order, but seemed like he could be easily swayed. Nonetheless there was no way of proving or disproving his loyalty.

Despite what it would seem like, it was not very long before they hit shore and were welcomed with gratitude to the Southern Water Tribe.

"Here we go," said Tenoko, "they'll likely be here in a day or two, so until then we prepare. We've done all we can, Now We Just Wait."


	29. Chapter 29: Awaiting Their Next Objectiv

Chapter 29: Awaiting Their Next Objective

Incidentally, Iresu's battle was quick, for the woman she was pitted against was no match for the mighty former Earth Queen. Incidentally, Iresu seemed more of a pacifist, for she was much less violent, and the woman she fought surrendered, so Iresu spared her life. Had Iresu been a member of The Order, there would be a much higher chance that that woman's life would not have been spared.

By the time that round (round 189) was over, Meili seemed about to lose consciousness. It was easy to deduct that she was severely injured, and so with haste, Royota, Shinon, Iresu and Ryuka took her and headed back to the base, Alzar and Sanaki following, their normal incredible speed hindered by the injuries.

For Shinon, healing most of Meili's major wounds were a relatively simple task, but some of them just needed Meili to rest, and others were in places on Meili that no one touched.

"You need rest, Meili," Royota counseled, but Meili was a stubborn young woman, and she didn't want rest, despite how much she needed it.

"See," she snapped, standing up, also slightly nervous for being in The Avatar Guard's actual headquarters, "I'm fine."

However, her falling down moments after saying that led Royota to catch her lie.

"Just lie down," he said gently, "if you need anything just ask me."

"I don't want to," Meili grumbled, "why am I like this?"

"You were badly injured," said Alzar, "you passed out right as we got you in here. We're still trying to recover ourselves as well."

Meili sighed. "Fine" she said, "I'll wait it out, but right now I want to talk about something—anything."

"Why not the story of how your parents met," said Shinon, "that mother of yours looked... well, she looks innocent. How did she find a man that actually loved her rather than wanted to use her?"

"It's an amusing story," Meili replied bluntly, "the way it was told to me—a pointy-eared girl named Tera told me it, since my mom is still clueless about it; heh, heh..."

"So what was it like," Sanaki asked, "what was this story that you were told concerning how your parents met?"

"well, they literally sort of ran into each other," Meili replied; "Zuki was just earthbending and doing whatever she does in her own little world; that's one thing I always loved about my mother—she was always in her own little world except when family was concerned.

Anyways, the way they met was apparently Zuki wandered too close to where Cho Ling, my father, was, and he used earthbending towards her out of habitual self-defense. My mom blocked it, and was surprised at what she had done. My dad actually lunged towards her, still unable to tell friend from foe.

I'm pretty sure that the impact with the ground would have hurt most people, but not Zuki Meisha. When she hit the ground she just started laughing. Her laugh was not and is not an evil one; it's just so sweet. Anyone who hears it will always smile—it has yet to be disproved."

Meili was sitting up by now. This seemed to be an emotional story for her just because of how sweet and touching it was. Her eyes were starting to water already, but she was hiding it well.

"So they met," Meili continued, "and my dad started to get through to my mom, who still seemed sort of clueless. She had had people talk to her before trying to gain her interest, but she always just seemed to shake them off—she was always in her own little world. Cho Ling on the other hand, somehow broke through into Zuki's mind. He cared for her in a unique way that she had not seen up to this point in her life.

She could feel that this man was not after her for her beauty or her obedience—she felt something different: care; like this man was always going to be there for her no matter what; like any time she had a problem she could come to him; like whenever she was in danger, he... he would be there to... to protect her."

This must have been an emotional story for Meili, for she rapidly changed when she told it. This story touched her in an unusual way; perhaps it was because she was their eldest child.

"So," said Royota, "he was the perfect man for her then?"

"Aye," Meili replied, "he never did anything she was uncomfortable with. His most important objective was to make sure she was happy. The fact that she was interested in him was something new for her. The feelings he gave her were new emotions for her. She loved it. Most importantly though, he said the three fateful words that Zuki had been told many times in the form of persuasion: "I love you".

And yet, Zuki seemed to know this man's sincerity. She could tell that he was being completely serious, and her response was something new; she said "I love you too" and she meant it. There was no giggling laugh in her voice that she usually had when she said it ('coz technically, Zuki loves everyone), there was serious affection.

Naturally, it was not long before they were married, and that's where my development came in. there is a reason I'm blind and partially deaf. My mother and father were attacked by The Order. Zuki took some serious damage where I was, and apparently it damaged my system. I never understood why it was classified that way, as I've never really had trouble; well, I've had trouble hearing sometimes, but being blind never was a problem for the most part."

"So that's your story," said Alzar, and Meili nodded; Alzar feeling it.

"Aye," said Alzar, "then I can understand why you are not bitter about it like I am about my own,"

"Alzar," said Sanaki inquisitively, "why are you bitter about that?"

"Aye" Meili added, "if you're a blind bender there's nothing to be ashamed of. Is there a back story for you as well?"

Shinon and Royota looked over at Alzar, who had bowed her head (Ryuka was back to his usual business and Iresu was likely somewhere around the base, as she had followed them, having freed a person from The Underground as her prize), her eyes closed.

"Aye," she said, "there is. Perhaps one day I shall tell it in greater detail. For now though, I will say that although as a descendant of Sanaki Li Chan being born blind would not be a rare occurrence, I was not born blind. It was a stupid movement that involved myself and my friends, and the end result was me gradually losing my eyesight until all I can see now is blackness. I can no longer see the faces of those whom I had loved; nor can I even see myself."

"Sanaki," asked Meili curiously, turning to her (though it made no difference, since both young ladies were blind as well) "your last name isn't Li Chan by chance is it?"

"No," Sanaki replied, "my last name is Foxx."

"Ah," said Meili, "so the Sanaki Li Chan that Alzar speaks of is not you"

"Nope," Sanaki replied, "she was my ancestor as well though."

"Alright then," said Meili, "just wondering."

Alzar meanwhile seemed very bitter. The fact that she had made herself blind still aggravated her very much. Meili had turned over, expecting to get some sleep, and Sanaki had gone into one of the arenas to train some to pass some time.

"Alzar," said Royota, putting his hand on her shoulder and guiding her into another empty room, "it's what we're here for. What's the matter?"

Shinon, who usually helped assure Alzar, decided to let the "wise old man" help her this time, as he figured he'd help train with Sanaki so she could get better against waterbenders, which was her weakness.

Alzar made sure the door was closed before she sat down on the bed that happened to be in the room as well. She sighed longingly.

"It's so different though," she said, her eyes closed; she looked like she might cry, and for Alzar, this was rare.

"how is it different," said Royota, sitting next to her, his aged hand gently sifting through her soft black hair until it reached and started rubbing the back of her neck;

"I had the eyes of an eagle-fox," Alzar replied, "I could literally see anything. One stupid mistake on my part ruined everything. I hate being blind, Royota, I honestly hate it."

"Alzar," said Royota, still gently rubbing Alzar's neck, "it's not like you go bumbling around into everything. Your heat-sense is just as keen as my eyes, and probably yours as well."

"But heat-senses don't show what people's expressions are," said Alzar, "it doesn't show the bright colors of things; it doesn't show me what my friends and I look like now that we're all grown up. It makes me so mad, Royota; to know that it was my fault. I used to know about those things, and it was my own stupid choice that took them away."

Alzar actually had tears running down her face by now.

"I'm sorry Alzar," said Royota, "the only thing I can do at this point is give you comfort. Remember, even if you were rendered completely blind, you're still the greatest firebender in the world. You also still have friends in many places that love and care for you."

Alzar embraced him, though she was still sniffling.

It only took 2½ days for Meili to recover; and with her back in action, the whole place seemed happier. Alzar's spirits wee rising too, but the fact that she was blind still seemed to bother her. At this point though, Royota, Shinon, Sanaki, Meili, Alzar, Iresu and Ryuka were simply Awaiting Their Next Objective.


	30. Chapter 30: You're A Part Of It

Chapter 30: You're A Part Of It

"Sightings of the Avatar have been reported near the Northern Water Tribe Port, and the Western Air temple Port as well" said Zhin to Tu-Sung, Ju Long, and a few other important Order members, "and as such, they have also been reported in the Fire Nation. They have not been seen back in the Earth Kingdom, so we can assume that the Fire Nation was their final stop. There is a powerful Kyoshi warrior, an old waterbender and the avatar's airbending teacher accompanying them."

"So," said one of the members, "I presume that you are telling us this because you want us to do something about it?"

"Aye and no," Zhin replied, "Tu-Sung came up with the concept of this scheme: if the avatar is out of her base, that means that it is less defended, and our proposition to attack Ba Sing Se will go under way."

"Attack Ba Sing Se," Ju Long exclaimed, "that's insane. We'd never pull it off; the city is much too huge for anything of that caliber."

"We don't need to overthrow the entire city, Ju Long" said Tu-Sung, "that would indeed be ridiculous. We just need to take over the parts that have less Avatar Guard members. If we limit the Avatar's list of allies, we will eventually be able to corner him."

"excuse me, Tu-Sung," said one of the other members, (and because they were all important members of The Order of the Avatar Slayer, talking to a man of Tu-Sung's rank was not out of this man's league) "but the reports we received of the avatar's sighting at the Northern Water Tribe and the Western Air Temple indicated that the avatar is female."

"Ah," said Zhin, who also did not know of the situation, "so now we are pitting ourselves against a woman after so many years of the avatar being male. This could simplify our situation."

Zhin may have been a woman, but even she knew that men were naturally stronger than women—usually.

"Why does this simplify our situation," the same man asked,

"Because," she said, "although bending prowess is great, if nothing else, physical strength will win, and even I acknowledge that men are generally tougher than women."

"Then you're looking at a case that is outside of the usual scenario," the man replied, "this woman is the stocky type; very tough. If she were taller she'd be like a mountain. Her arms are huge."

"So the avatar is more muscular than predicted, eh," said Tu-Sung, chuckling at the idea of a short and strong woman like Zakura being the next avatar, "it just means that the spirit of chaos wishes to grant us a challenge this time. We shall overcome it."

"So what of the reports of Katara Altina II" said Ju Long, "for if what Fire Lord Orzon says is true, then we may have just gained a very valuable asset.

"She is powerful beyond belief," Zhin replied, "She is called The Lady of the Braced Arms for a reason—she wears them because they help her have slightly better control. Without proper control her power would consume her. Her power is devastating."

"Unfortunately," said Tu-Sung, "also from those same reports from Fire Lord Orzon we received information regarding her stance. She seems to only care about finding her mother and brother. Do we know of who they are or where they are located?"

"If she is Katara Altina II," said Ju Long, "we can naturally assume that her mother is Katara Altina I. as for her brother, I know not."

"He is a young man around 18 or so by the name of Sokka" one of the other members replied. Sokka, Katara's older brother, was incidentally named after the older brother of the legendary waterbender of old. He had been an icon for warriors, particularly those who could not bend. "Before I left the Navy, he was a new recruit on my ship. He is a firm supporter of The Avatar Guard,"

"Then perhaps we have grounds to capture him and hold him against his sister," said Zhin, "or perhaps we need to strengthen her loyalty with us through means similar to the Dai Li of old."

"Whatever we do," said Tu-Sung, "we must inform Fire Lord Orzon and Fire Lady Ayumi to keep them far apart. If by chance the ship that Sokka Altina comes to the Fire Nation, Katara Altina must be moved."

(Altina of course being Sokka's last name as well as Katara's; and actually a rather common name, first or last)

"So be it," said Tu-Sung, "for now though we must make plans to take control of more of Ba Sing Se. the Dai Li that serve that area are mostly our men, and they will pretty much advise the inhabitants to evacuate, join The Order, or fight to the death."

"They must give them a chance though," said Zhin, "for some Earth Kingdom Citizens question even the rule of Zhang and Zao Lin. So far they haven't seen much of a difference, but The Avatar Guard has powerful political figures as well. The warriors will be the ones to convince the citizens to join The Order; and the Dai Li will try to evacuate people or tell them to fight for their lives."

"This is an ingenious operation," said Tu-Sung, "anything unexplainable will obviously be covered up. With most of the avatar's gang outside of their hideout, we could claim much of that area as our own."

"So are there any issues that are of concern," Ju Long asked,

"Aye," said Zhin, "there's a woman; a clueless ditz by the name of Zuki Meisha. She's seen much of our treachery, but getting her to remember any of it—or anything in general—is a miracle.

The fact that she knows it somewhere in that simple happy go-lucky mind of hers though makes her a treat, as there is always a way to get through to someone, even the dumbest idiot. The last reports of her location were that she was seen captured and offered up as a slave at The Underground. The problem is, is that some "good" people go down there to free people of that type. Zuki Meisha's beauty gets her a lot of attention, and that stupid woman isn't even aware of it."

"If she is captured," said Tu-Sung, "then we have no reason to worry about her divulging information, correct?"

"Aye," said Zhin, "with one exception: I know the Meisha family too well. Their eldest daughter goes down there a lot. If I had a way to prove this I could order her arrest, but unfortunately, I lack such details. Anyways, she goes down there a lot. There is a good chance that if she found her mother down there that she would go to whatever lengths it took to get her back."

"But are there any reports that she succeeded?"

"At the moment, no, there are none"

"Then why are we worrying over something that has not occurred?"

"Because we are not sure if it has happened or not, and if it has indeed happened, then we could possibly get our whole scheme unraveled to The Avatar Guard before we pulled it off."

"If we keep putting this attack off the avatar will have made other plans by then, Zhin; she's just as intelligent as us it seems."

"Did I ever say we were going to put it off, Tu-Sung? No I didn't; I merely stated that Zuki Meisha is a possible threat to us. We are going to go through with this operation and hope for the best. With the careful and intricate planning we've done, we should do some decent damage to The Avatar Guard to say the least."

"Ah," said Tu-Sung, "my mistake then, Zhin"

"It is unnecessary to apologize to me for it, Tu-Sung," said Zhin seductively, "it is good to consider the possibilities as to what might go wrong, for that way we will know of a possible alternative option should the scenario arrive."

"So how much of Ba Sing Se do you intend to capture with this little stunt of yours, eh, Zhin," one of the other members asked,

"Not a huge amount at first," Zhin replied, "but we intend to pick off some of the remote areas, and gather more soldiers from Fengtai as well."

"Fengtai," Ju Long muttered, "my wife passed through that city before going off to join The Avatar Guard"

He paused for a moment. "Or rather," he continued, "my ex-wife; she has my child; she once meant everything to me. She was once everything I lived for. To know that she betrayed me..."

"...is part of the reason we're also here," Said Zhin, "It was the avatar's existence that caused this war."

While this statement was true, Zhin was using it in an incorrect context used to the advantage of The Order of the Avatar Slayer. The avatar's existence was what had caused The Order of the Avatar Slayer to form out of hatred for the avatar and fear of his or her corruption. The avatar to this day has not done such harm.

Nonetheless, the fact that The Order of the Avatar Slayer had formed because of the avatar's existence, and then from there started a war against the world, which in turn formed their enemies (and the "good side") the Avatar guard, it was in essence, the avatar's existence that caused this great, long-lasting war.

"I see," said Ju Long, "so these actions are necessary then,

"Aye" Tu-Sung replied, "and that is why we are carrying them out."

"So the attack is going through then," asked Ju Long curiously,

"Of course," said Zhin sweetly yet seductively, "and you're A Part of It."


	31. Chapter 31: Unless She Survives

Chapter 31: Unless She Survives

Katara's situation got slightly better, but for the most part, she was not fond of this new life. Orzon and Ayumi had told her that they knew where her brother was (which, incidentally, they did) and this gave her hope; However, she did not know that they were actually making sure that he did not find her, as he had become deeply rooted in The Avatar Guard during his time apart from his younger sister.

Katara's loyalty to The Order was held up by that thought nonetheless, but Zhin's planning far, far away had reached Ayumi and Orzon, and they planned to do something about it.

"We clear her mind," said Orzon, "before she was calmed she was fierce; hated everyone."

"Ferocity and hatred" said Ayumi, "those terms are right in my arena."

"And that is the problem," said Orzon, "she knows you are relentless, and that you hate her. If you try something of that sort, she'll likely attack; and we both know that her raw power is far greater than any of ours, and so the obvious outcome is..."

"And that was why we took her, is it not? That girl's power will eventually consume her. She lacks the control needed to harness it. If she lives past 20 I'll be surprised, so let's make use of her while we can."

"And that is why I will be the one to clear her mind, Ayumi; she trusts me more than she trusts you. I'm known for my convincing game."

Ayumi grumbled and muttered something under her breath before disappearing, leaving Orzon alone. He went to Katara's room a few minutes later to find her unconscious on the ground. A little bit of looking around told her Ayumi had been there.

Orzon knew his wife, and how she operated. She had a deadly tactic that if she used on a person, would make them faint. The fact that there were no cuts or bruises on Katara other than her scars meant that Ayumi had done her work, which actually saved him the time.

Katara woke up in a dark chamber, tied down, and still exhausted as always. Surprisingly, she wasn't as scared as she probably should have been, as Katara Altina II was used to being treated badly, having been treated such most of her life (save by her brother). Her eyes darted around, but only saw a dim light in the distance. Orzon, the holder of the light, was approaching her. The light Orzon had was revolving around him, and it caught Katara's eyes, and the hypnotism used by the Dai Li of old was coming back around and into effect on young Katara.

"This war," said Orzon, slightly disguising his voice, "was caused by the avatar. It has separated you from your family; left you all alone. The Fire Lord is here to help you."

"The Fire Lord is my friend," Katara asked, as if she doubted, though eventually, his hypnotism would end up brainwashing her; "why,"

"This was the man who took you in," Orzon replied, watching as Katara's eyes followed the lamp that was revolving around him in what was otherwise darkness, "he is here for you, and will help you find your family. He trained you to become able to defend yourself without getting hurt." He paused, and noticed that Katara's eyes had gone blank.

"Is this true," Orzon asked her, as he had repeated those lines several times to her, and was hoping for a result,

"Aye," Katara replied, "Fire Lord Orzon is my friend—isn't he?"

"Aye," Orzon replied, "and with your power, you could run the world as you wished it. You wouldn't even need your friends to help you. You would not even need the avatar."

Katara had a very strong-willed mind, and it took Orzon a long time before he was able to do what he had been hoping to do. By the time all was said and done, Katara was thrashing to try and escape, and freaked out when people touched her.

Before her brother had left, he had spent much of his time trying to calm down his sister, who suffered from the stress of losing her father as well as the stress of knowing that if she was not consistently improving her control, that her power would overtake her and that she would die. Previously she had calmed down, but now Orzon and Ayumi's brainwashing had changed her back to her original erratic behavior.

"Let me go," she snapped, "let me go NOW,"

Orzon did not hesitate, and Katara's bonds were broken.

"You have my services," she said, "for now."

Orzon's job was finished, and Ayumi, who had insisted that she 'work on her' afterwards, and so Orzon gave it the OK.

However, upon seeing her, Katara got into a defensive stance. There was some part of Orzon's brainwashing that had affected Katara, but the exact results of the events that had just occurred were unknown. Katara now just seemed much more erratic and unpredictable.

"Woman," she said, seizing Ayumi by the throat, "when is the next war you were planning to send me off on,"

Ayumi was shocked at not only Katara's bravery, but the fact that she was "assaulting" the Lady of the Fire Nation. She slapped Katara's arm away from her neck.

"Don't touch me like that," she said, "remember who your superiors are."

"I do," Katara replied, "and with power like mine, I'm the most superior person in the world. Now tell me about this next war if you want me to remain on your side. Your little brainwashing shot did well."

Ayumi's expression was hard to interpret, as it was a cross between surprise, hatred, fear, and arrogance.

"It is two days from now," Ayumi replied, "and if you touch me again like that I will have you put to death, regardless of your so-called "power". When you understand that you will be much better off."

Katara however, did not reply. She was heading for her room, for she was tired. On the way, she met the giggling servant girls. By this time they knew her name (though she had never wasted her time trying to learn theirs) and so they taunted her as usual.

"Katara's in trouble," they giggled, but soon realized that this was a mistake. Unlike Orzon or Ayumi, who had authority as well as power, these girls had nothing except their numbers.

"You want to go," Katara said, clearly not in the mood, as she was back to her people-hating attitude of her past;

The girls crowded together, and they actually called out a few different names. A few moments later, they were accompanied by 4 young men who were probably the boyfriends of these young ladies.

"Don't touch our girls," they said, showing off. Perhaps these girls were also weak firebenders, as once the boys showed off some of their skill (which, compared to anyone from The Avatar Guard or The Order of the Avatar Slayer, was nothing) the girls did too.

"Or what," said Katara irritably, "you'll try to out-firebend me?"

Katara responded by making two huge fireballs on her hands. This caused them to get on edge, but Katara's next reaction was something that did not involve firebending.

Katara did not firebend to attack when she didn't have to, for she usually hurt herself as well. Therefore, her next movement was a series of surprise attacks that involved her fists and her feet. Within seconds, they were all down, but not out.

"You monster," one of the girls yelled, her eyes watering,

"Whatever," Katara shrugged, and she made her way to her room without another word. Upon getting there, she slammed the door and locked it. Orzon had corrupted her mind, bringing her past self back. She still seemed to be on their side, and planned to fight with them in the next war. Ultimately though, she sort of was now on her own side.

"Sokka," she muttered, "mother; I'm coming for you both; The Avatar Guard; The Order of the Avatar Slayer; neither of them means anything to me right now. I want to see my family again."

Katara threw herself onto her bed and fell asleep, thinking only about her family, as was typical.

"She's dangerous," Orzon warned, "if she learns that we are keeping her brother and mother away from here she will turn against us, and with power like that, she will defeat us. We need to make good use of her while she's still on our side."

"That is why we are sending her to war with the others, Orzon," Ayumi replied, still angered (and possibly slightly humiliated) by the incident she had had with Katara earlier; "she needs to die, as she's a danger to everyone around her, herself, and the rest of the world, the avatar included. We need to make it look like an accident though. Perhaps a non-existent retreat calls for the other soldiers. Let her fight alone."

"If you want her alone," said Orzon, "bring up her family before she goes in. she'll never retreat if she thinks they are on the line here."

"She's a stubborn young woman," said Ayumi, "I'm sure that such a thing will work. For once we might have to hope that the avatar decides to bring with her a challenge. Katara Altina II is altogether dangerous."

"And either way," said Orzon, "this will work to our advantage, for she will deal heavy blows to The Avatar Guard before she dies. If she refuses to retreat, her only other option will be to fight to the death, and that means she'll be dealing damage."

"Then it is what we shall do," said Ayumi, "unless of course, she survives; what then, Orzon? What then?"

"That is a question I must think about," Orzon replied, "chances are she will die, therefore everything will be alright Unless She Survives."


	32. Chapter 32: TheWarrior of the Black Hand

Chapter 32: The Warrior of the Black Hand

Katara's situation got slightly better, but for the most part, she was not fond of this new life. Orzon and Ayumi had told her that they knew where her brother was (which, incidentally, they did) and this gave her hope; However, she did not know that they were actually making sure that he did not find her, as he had become deeply rooted in The Avatar Guard during his time apart from his younger sister.

Katara's loyalty to The Order was held up by that thought nonetheless, but Zhin's planning far, far away had reached Ayumi and Orzon, and they planned to do something about it.

"We clear her mind," said Orzon, "before she was calmed she was fierce; hated everyone."

"Ferocity and hatred" said Ayumi, "those terms are right in my arena."

"And that is the problem," said Orzon, "she knows you are relentless, and that you hate her. If you try something of that sort, she'll likely attack; and we both know that her raw power is far greater than any of ours, and so the obvious outcome is..."

"And that was why we took her, is it not? That girl's power will eventually consume her. She lacks the control needed to harness it. If she lives past 20 I'll be surprised, so let's make use of her while we can."

"And that is why I will be the one to clear her mind, Ayumi; she trusts me more than she trusts you. I'm known for my convincing game."

Ayumi grumbled and muttered something under her breath before disappearing, leaving Orzon alone. He went to Katara's room a few minutes later to find her unconscious on the ground. A little bit of looking around told her Ayumi had been there.

Orzon knew his wife, and how she operated. She had a deadly tactic that if she used on a person, would make them faint. The fact that there were no cuts or bruises on Katara other than her scars meant that Ayumi had done her work, which actually saved him the time.

Katara woke up in a dark chamber, tied down, and still exhausted as always. Surprisingly, she wasn't as scared as she probably should have been, as Katara Altina II was used to being treated badly, having been treated such most of her life (save by her brother). Her eyes darted around, but only saw a dim light in the distance. Orzon, the holder of the light, was approaching her. The light Orzon had was revolving around him, and it caught Katara's eyes, and the hypnotism used by the Dai Li of old was coming back around and into effect on young Katara.

"This war," said Orzon, slightly disguising his voice, "was caused by the avatar. It has separated you from your family; left you all alone. The Fire Lord is here to help you."

"The Fire Lord is my friend," Katara asked, as if she doubted, though eventually, his hypnotism would end up brainwashing her; "why,"

"This was the man who took you in," Orzon replied, watching as Katara's eyes followed the lamp that was revolving around him in what was otherwise darkness, "he is here for you, and will help you find your family. He trained you to become able to defend yourself without getting hurt." He paused, and noticed that Katara's eyes had gone blank.

"Is this true," Orzon asked her, as he had repeated those lines several times to her, and was hoping for a result,

"Aye," Katara replied, "Fire Lord Orzon is my friend—isn't he?"

"Aye," Orzon replied, "and with your power, you could run the world as you wished it. You wouldn't even need your friends to help you. You would not even need the avatar."

Katara had a very strong-willed mind, and it took Orzon a long time before he was able to do what he had been hoping to do. By the time all was said and done, Katara was thrashing to try and escape, and freaked out when people touched her.

Before her brother had left, he had spent much of his time trying to calm down his sister, who suffered from the stress of losing her father as well as the stress of knowing that if she was not consistently improving her control, that her power would overtake her and that she would die. Previously she had calmed down, but now Orzon and Ayumi's brainwashing had changed her back to her original erratic behavior.

"Let me go," she snapped, "let me go NOW,"

Orzon did not hesitate, and Katara's bonds were broken.

"You have my services," she said, "for now."

Orzon's job was finished, and Ayumi, who had insisted that she 'work on her' afterwards, and so Orzon gave it the OK.

However, upon seeing her, Katara got into a defensive stance. There was some part of Orzon's brainwashing that had affected Katara, but the exact results of the events that had just occurred were unknown. Katara now just seemed much more erratic and unpredictable.

"Woman," she said, seizing Ayumi by the throat, "when is the next war you were planning to send me off on,"

Ayumi was shocked at not only Katara's bravery, but the fact that she was "assaulting" the Lady of the Fire Nation. She slapped Katara's arm away from her neck.

"Don't touch me like that," she said, "remember who your superiors are."

"I do," Katara replied, "and with power like mine, I'm the most superior person in the world. Now tell me about this next war if you want me to remain on your side. Your little brainwashing shot did well."

Ayumi's expression was hard to interpret, as it was a cross between surprise, hatred, fear, and arrogance.

"It is two days from now," Ayumi replied, "and if you touch me again like that I will have you put to death, regardless of your so-called "power". When you understand that you will be much better off."

Katara however, did not reply. She was heading for her room, for she was tired. On the way, she met the giggling servant girls. By this time they knew her name (though she had never wasted her time trying to learn theirs) and so they taunted her as usual.

"Katara's in trouble," they giggled, but soon realized that this was a mistake. Unlike Orzon or Ayumi, who had authority as well as power, these girls had nothing except their numbers.

"You want to go," Katara said, clearly not in the mood, as she was back to her people-hating attitude of her past;

The girls crowded together, and they actually called out a few different names. A few moments later, they were accompanied by 4 young men who were probably the boyfriends of these young ladies.

"Don't touch our girls," they said, showing off. Perhaps these girls were also weak firebenders, as once the boys showed off some of their skill (which, compared to anyone from The Avatar Guard or The Order of the Avatar Slayer, was nothing) the girls did too.

"Or what," said Katara irritably, "you'll try to out-firebend me?"

Katara responded by making two huge fireballs on her hands. This caused them to get on edge, but Katara's next reaction was something that did not involve firebending.

Katara did not firebend to attack when she didn't have to, for she usually hurt herself as well. Therefore, her next movement was a series of surprise attacks that involved her fists and her feet. Within seconds, they were all down, but not out.

"You monster," one of the girls yelled, her eyes watering,

"Whatever," Katara shrugged, and she made her way to her room without another word. Upon getting there, she slammed the door and locked it. Orzon had corrupted her mind, bringing her past self back. She still seemed to be on their side, and planned to fight with them in the next war. Ultimately though, she sort of was now on her own side.

"Sokka," she muttered, "mother; I'm coming for you both; The Avatar Guard; The Order of the Avatar Slayer; neither of them means anything to me right now. I want to see my family again."

Katara threw herself onto her bed and fell asleep, thinking only about her family, as was typical.

"She's dangerous," Orzon warned, "if she learns that we are keeping her brother and mother away from here she will turn against us, and with power like that, she will defeat us. We need to make good use of her while she's still on our side."

"That is why we are sending her to war with the others, Orzon," Ayumi replied, still angered (and possibly slightly humiliated) by the incident she had had with Katara earlier; "she needs to die, as she's a danger to everyone around her, herself, and the rest of the world, the avatar included. We need to make it look like an accident though. Perhaps a non-existent retreat calls for the other soldiers. Let her fight alone."

"If you want her alone," said Orzon, "bring up her family before she goes in. she'll never retreat if she thinks they are on the line here."

"She's a stubborn young woman," said Ayumi, "I'm sure that such a thing will work. For once we might have to hope that the avatar decides to bring with her a challenge. Katara Altina II is altogether dangerous."

"And either way," said Orzon, "this will work to our advantage, for she will deal heavy blows to The Avatar Guard before she dies. If she refuses to retreat, her only other option will be to fight to the death, and that means she'll be dealing damage."

"Then it is what we shall do," said Ayumi, "unless of course, she survives; what then, Orzon? What then?"

"that is a question I must think about," Orzon replied, "chances are she will die, therefore everything will be alright Unless She Survives."


	33. Chapter 33: This Was Kimiko Nagishima

Chapter 33: This Was Kimiko Nagishima

Zinjamyn's group did not really have any objective for the next day or two except for to do their own thing and to be prepared should the warning be sounded. Zinjamyn was off with Tenoko discussing more war tactics, Mulan had given her baby to the caretakers of a medical establishment in the village, for she could not take her infant child into war. After knowing of how the Serenes waterbenders acted based on what she observed from Lehran, Mulan could have sworn that the nurse she left in charge of her child was a Serenes herself.

The nurse had promised with her life to take care of Mulan's baby girl, and this left Mulan at peace. Once that was through, Mulan was just mingling with the others, and this village was swarming with Kyoshi Warriors at the time. Cheng was talking with some of these women, many of which knew Taki. From this Cheng learned that Taki was one of the highest ranking Kyoshi Warriors in the world, which would also likely explain her skill in battle.

"How do you know Taki," one of them asked him,

"Well," said Cheng truthfully, "Avatar Zakura was the one who got us properly introduced to each other. She told me to take her out, and since she gave me the money to do so, I did. From there, our relationship developed. That about sums it up,"

Cheng might have been talking friendly to these women, but ultimately, he knew that his loyalty was to Taki, and was not going to do anything with these women that would upset Taki (or any woman for that manner). Taki was actually a popular subject of talk among the Kyoshi Warriors, and so Cheng took a liking for the girls, many of which were only 18 or so. Others were much older, but they all had several common traits, such as being fast, flexible, powerful, and fearless.

Lehran meanwhile, was playing with his sister, with Kimiko idly sitting a few feet away watching them. She looked at them longingly, wishing to see her own family again; to hear them laugh with her and hug her the way Lehran was embracing Altina. She closed her eyes.

Lehran didn't pay attention to Kimiko; for he knew that she liked to be by herself for the most part, and respected her privacy. However, right now, what Kimiko wanted more than anything was for someone to love.

It was actually when she started sniffling that Lehran looked up. Even little Altina stopped giggling.

"Are you alright," Lehran asked, standing up and walking towards her,

Kimiko naturally did not respond. Lehran could tell what was on her mind. He knew her story, and figured that after a shattering event like that, that there was a 90% chance that that was what she was thinking of. Lehran sat next to her, with Altina playing with some water on the floor in front of them.

"You miss your family, don't you," he said gently, putting one of his hands on her back and gently rubbing. Kimiko said nothing, but her eyes started to water. Her scarred eye even got slightly wet, which was not normal, for some of the area around it had been damaged when it had been burned. Now, Lehran was a smart man, and was not going to end on a sad note like the death of poor Kimiko's family.

"I want someone," said Kimiko, now sobbing, "just anyone; someone to care for me like my family did; someone to comfort me; someone to dry my tears. My family... they were everything to me. To watch them die with my own eyes... it... it was the worst thing I could ever witness. I'm afraid to talk to anyone. I feel if I ever say anything out of place that it will force me to watch their deaths again."

"so why are you speaking with me then," Lehran asked curiously, wondering what made him so special that she was actually talking to him when she would talk to nearly no one else;

"I..." Kimiko stuttered, "I just feel so safe around you. You seem like the sort of man who puts others before himself; I've heard the legends of the Serenes Waterbenders, and they sound marvelous. It's like a fantasy of mine almost. I mean, I've seen the way you treat little Altina; it's something I've always looked up to, Lehran."

Lehran was sort of surprised that Kimiko had said so much, and being shy himself, was not sure as to how much he was going to say,

"Well Kimiko," said Lehran, "I'm a man who does not like to see others distressed. If you ever need someone to lean on, I'll be here for you. It's how I am to anyone. I'm trying to teach Altina to grow up to be the same way. The fact that she is already able to waterbend worries me though, for if The Order is not stopped, she will be targeted."

"Not while I'm here," said Kimiko with gritted teeth; there was slight anger building up in her; something that had long since lain dormant; "not as long as there is a member of the Nagishima family that still draws breath, Lehran. Something about Altina gives me a certain drive—a drive to protect her like she was my own sister."

"There is something about you," said Lehran, "that I admire. It's that trait of perseverance. After everything that has just happened to you in recent times, you're still sticking to your beliefs without faltering. A sense of loyalty like that is something I have always admired in a person. You are no exception, Kimiko."

Kimiko put her arms around Lehran and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Don't ever leave me," she said, "you remind me too much of my own brother. I don't want to have to lose him again."

"So long as your loyalty remains the same and I am still able to draw breath, lady Nagishima," said Lehran, who had an odd tendency to use a person's last name once he learned it, "I will not. You have my word as a Serenes, I assure you."

Kimiko continued to rest her head on Lehran's shoulder. She did glance up at little Altina, who was now running around in circles again. Eventually the little girl got dizzy and fell down. Right as she did, the door flew open with such force that Lehran and Kimiko both jumped, and even Kimiko's left eye flipped wide open. It may have been able to open normally as wide as her other eye, but it couldn't get much wider than that except on rare occasions. They both looked towards the doorway and saw Chief Tenoko standing there.

"Howdy, kids," she said, and though she was trying to look at Lehran, her eyes were going in and out of focus; she was clearly drunk again. She looked down and saw Altina and picked her up. She had been playing with some water at the time, and surprisingly, when she was lifted up by Tenoko, she held onto it, putting the water in her mouth.

"Well aren't you the cutest thing in the world," she said, hiccupping; Lehran and Kimiko were both too shy to tell Tenoko that she was drunk. Luckily for them, little Altina had an answer; the water that was in Altina's mouth suddenly ejected and then landed in Tenoko's face.

"Guuhh," Tenoko snapped, "crazy kid just spit water at me. Take her, boy."

She abruptly handed Altina to Lehran, and then Zinjamyn appeared in the doorway, chuckling.

"There you are, Tenoko," he said, laughing, "here, come lie down for a while. You're clearly drunk."

Tenoko just laughed, "You haven't seen the last of me," she said, laughing oddly; she was not going to ever actually attack Lehran or Kimiko; she was just that drunk. Zinjamyn led her out and got her to a safe place where she was able to lie down and rest, and then returned to Lehran and Kimiko, the same calm expression on his face.

"Sorry about that," he said, "she's just a bit off sometimes. She's not going to hurt any of you. She didn't do anything, did she?"

"No," Lehran replied, and his right hand was subconsciously running up and down Kimiko's back (on her shirt of course) "She just thought Altina was cute, that was all"

"Well," said Zinjamyn, smiling at the little girl, "she kind of is; but aye, I'll leave you two alone for now. Again, I apologize for letting that drunken Water Chief out of my sight."

With a slight chuckle, Zinjamyn closed the door, and again, Lehran and Kimiko were alone. Kimiko looked up into Lehran's eyes, and Lehran smiled. Altina started tugging at Kimiko's pant leg, and Kimiko took that as the sign to pick her up, and therefore, she did.

When she did she squeezed her really hard, and Altina, still known mostly as "that cute little blue ball of fluff" giggled each time Kimiko squeezed her. Lehran watched Kimiko's face closely, and noticed that she was smiling, something no one had seen her do in a very long time. She set Altina down on the counter that the two of them had been sitting on, and she sat down behind Kimiko, leaving an opening between her and Lehran, which Lehran closed as to be able to reach Altina better (or so he said). He looked at Kimiko and smiled.

To his surprise, she smiled back. It was a weak smile, but a smile it was nonetheless. The fact that he too was incredibly shy meant that for him it was an incredible feat. Not only had he made a new close friend, but he had gotten through to someone who no one else was able to. This was no random person he got through to, This Was Kimiko Nagishima.


	34. Chapter 34: Malak Was No Exception

Chapter 34: Malak Was No Exception

Malak woke up feeling slightly dazed, and her gut still hurt from being kicked around so much by the Water Tribe Warriors. She sat up on the edge of her bed and idly swung her feet back and forth, trying to recall everything that happened. Everything seemed just like an illusion to her now: Zeruda, that Fire Nation boy, Maric's betrayal, The Avatar Guard Secret Service; everything.

She blinked a few times to try and get the room into focus, but like the room where she had been tied up in; there was little light in this one either. She stood up, but almost fell back down again from dizziness. However, her good balance and fast reflexes prevented this, and she remained on her feet. Suddenly, the door opened, and in it was that Fire Nation boy that was always with Zeruda.

"Oh," he exclaimed, "you're awake."

Malak said nothing. She just sat there swinging her feet, and looked up at him. She was curious as to what his name was, but didn't feel like she should ask. She was still rather frightened in this new environment.

"Oh," said the boy, "my name is Reyson by the way. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier."

"Its fine," said Malak, "you actually didn't have to. I was technically at the mercy of you and Zeruda earlier."

"Well," said Reyson, "we weren't going to harm you at all. Zeruda just didn't want you falling into the hands of The Order. You have talent, Malak. She knows it, you should know it, and even I know it."

"How do you know it," Malak asked,

"I actually just took the avatar's word for it, as she recounted the story to my mother, and I was there to hear it."

"Who is your mother," Malak asked curiously,

"Well, Zeruda is," Reyson replied, "and the old Fire Lord was my dad. I call her Zeruda because if anyone finds out I'm her son they'll come after me. I mean, I'm the next heir to the Fire Nation Throne if Zeruda is able to be set back up again."

"That's neat," said Malak, smiling, "you would probably make a good Fire Lord. I thought at first that you were just trying to hook up with me or something. I mean, being tied down like that, I just felt so vulnerable—like she was going to pull out a knife on me or something."

"Zeruda," Reyson exclaimed, "nah, she may seem firm, but she's real nice to people as long as they don't support The Order."

"Oh," said Malak, turning slightly pink, "I guess I was just scared then."

"Well," said Reyson, "you sort of had the right to be. Zeruda did say she tried to make it seem more intimidating for you to help get more information out of you in case you refused to talk."

"I just wanted to get out," said Malak, "I mean; I didn't have any life-changing information on me. I'm just another Water Tribe girl."

"Who are your parents," Reyson asked curiously, "or is it personal"

"it's a bit personal," Malak replied, "I mean, everyone called me and my brother the Dragmire Twins, but that's the name of the Water Chief. I'm not sure why the tacked her last name onto us."

"You're the daughter of Tenoko Dragmire," Reyson asked; for Dragmire was Water Chief Tenoko's last name;

"I don't think so," Malak replied, "I mean, I've only seen her once, and she didn't seem to recognize me or my older brother Maric, so I think it might be coincidental."

"Well," said Reyson, "I'm no expert, but I've overheard Zeruda talking about Tenoko before, and she has always said Tenoko had a weird name to match the weird woman that she was."

"Thanks for that," said Malak, looking down at her knees, (which were under her dress and pants of course)

"Oh," said Reyson," sorry. It's kind of weird though that you and the Water Chief share the same name. I mean, it's not that I think you're related to her, it's just that I've only heard the name Dragmire in reference to Tenoko."

"I don't know," Malak shrugged, "I've always thought that that name had a sort of dark feel to it"

"Well," said Reyson, "I don't know too much about Tenoko except that she drinks a lot, so I can't tell you if she's "dark". Of course, she's part of the Avatar Guard Secret Service with my mom Zeruda, and then Iresu of the Earth Kingdom as well, so I think she's good."

"How do you know so much about the war," Malak asked, honestly curious and clinging to every word Reyson said,

"From my mom," Reyson replied, "I mean she's obviously a big time member of the Avatar Guard, so she gets a lot of information, and since I'm always with her she tells me everything."

"Oh, alright," said Malak, "so, now that I'm here, what are you going to do with me? I mean, is there a battle or something?"

"Well," said Reyson, "there was one at the Fire Nation capital in which we lost severely according to our latest reports, but the avatar and her company escaped alright. As far as you entering combat, it's up to you. Technically, you're too young, as well as I am, but because you're a prodigy, The Avatar Guard leaves the choice up to you. If you were part of The Order you would have no choice."

"Well," said Malak, "I'm not switching sides. I was just wondering how things work around here. I'm so new to all of this."

"What dragged you into the war," Reyson asked, "I mean, there's always something, right?"

"Aye," Malak replied, "my brother and I were dragged in after an invasion of the northern Water Tribe in which our parents were both killed. We were a poor family, and so racking up the money to sail away from the Northern Water Tribe was quite a feat, and it took us a while. From there we came to the Fire Nation, 'coz after that attack we sort of... well, you see how it ended up."

"Ah," said Reyson, "well, although I can't say anything about your brother, I'll assure you that you'll be okay with us. I actually came up to see if you were awake, 'coz we've got dinner on the table."

"I could use some of that," said Malak, almost cracking a smile. She put her hand on her stomach, but then immediately recoiled.

"Are you alright," Reyson asked; being raised with his mother for the most part, he was a "motherly" young man, (aged 16) but was not a 'sissy' by any means. He was being trained to become a caring Fire Lord who would be loved by the people should Zeruda be restored to the throne and Reyson as her successor.

"I'm fine," said Malak, "just a little tired, and still hurt from the attack. Try taking over 52 kicks to the chest without falling down,"

"52 hits," Reyson exclaimed, "Malak, that could be worse than we expected. There's probably more internal damage than we detected."

"Its fine," said Malak, feeling like a burden, "you don't need to be my mom, Reyson. I'm 14. I can take care of myself at least a little."

"Sorry," said Reyson, "I kind of do weird things like that all the time. I guess it was just the way I was raised."

"Well," said Malak, "you'd likely rear up good children, and would probably be a popular Fire Lord as well. You seem like a good people-pleaser, and yet not enough to bend to every whim"

"Thanks, I guess," said Reyson, scratching the back of his head near the black ponytail of hair he had,

"You're welcome," said Malak, smiling, and standing up, "now how about that dinner? I'm starving."

"I'm in," said Reyson, and stood up. He noticed though, that Malak had a slight stagger to her step.

"Will you be able to take these stairs alright," he asked, "I mean, oh, there I go again. Sorry."

Malak giggled. "You're fine, Reyson," she said, "I mean, look, you've even got Malak Dragmire smiling. You're obviously doing something right."

Reyson chuckled, and went down the stairs. Malak staggered down them, almost losing her step, but she had god balance, and was able to catch herself and land at the bottom in one piece.

Zeruda was off doing other things, but she had made them dinner with resources they had around the base; and for a girl of Malak's social class, it was all food she normally didn't get.

Reyson and Malak had the table to themselves, and Malak began quietly eating. She was hungry, but she wasn't shoving her food down like some people (namely people like Sanaki, Meili, Zakura, Cheng, Taki, Tenoko, or the likes) would have if they were as hungry as she was.

Reyson began eating, and being raised as the prince that he rightfully was; he ate politely as well. Once they finished, Malak smiled.

"That was delicious," she said, "tell Fire Lady Zeruda I said that."

"Alright," said Reyson, watching her gently get up, "are you just going to go back to your room again?"

"Aye," Malak replied, "I'm still really tired. Thanks for everything though. I really enjoyed it."

"You're welcome," Reyson replied, still seated, watching her go back up the stairs to her room. The interesting thing about The Avatar Guard was that they were always hospitable no matter where they were. They were a resourceful group like The Order, but when there were people new to their organization, The Avatar Guard, unlike The Order, would actually treat them well and care for them. Malak Was No Exception.


	35. Chapter 35: Not Going As Planned

Chapter 35: Not Going As Planned

Incidentally, Alzar, Shinon, and the rest of the group at Ba Sing Se received an objective sooner than they thought. It was 2 days after Meili had finished recovering that there were signs of an attack in the Northwest area of the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se.

Nowadays, soldiers of either organization were able to come and go into Ba Sing Se (via earthbenders opening the walls) if they knew which places to enter. Naturally, areas patrolled by The Avatar Guard would not let Order soldiers in, and areas patrolled by The Order of the Avatar Slayer would not let Avatar Guard members in. granted, if one organization were able to take over the titanic city's walls completely, they would be able to be well-protected, but in this day and age, division was everywhere, and now the walls of Ba Sing Se were merely a landmark on the globe.

"Prepare your selves," said Iresu, bursting into the hideout, "although they are not coming for us here, they are attacking this part of the city. Pretty much what the soldiers are telling the citizens is "join us or die".

We must fight. I've been out all day marshalling some of my Earth Kingdom Soldiers. There's a good chance though that we will lose much of this area, for their numbers are many, and the time I had to marshal up the 46th and 51st Divisions was not enough. The 53rd, 54th, and 48th Divisions would not be able to make it here in time, and the 57th, usually stationed here, is abroad in the southern area of the city."

"Well," said Ryuka, "in that case, here is what we are going to do:"

They all gathered around, including Iresu and Royota.

"Brother and Sister will lead the armies," he said, not pausing, though Alzar tried to get his attention, for there was something she wanted to ask him. However, he ignored her, and continued.

"The blind girls will be trying to warn as many citizens as possible about the attacks. The armies will do most of the fighting for the time being."

Now Alzar had another question, (this one simply was to ask if she was one of the "blind girls" or if Ryuka was just referring to Meili and Sanaki) but once again, Ryuka punched her aside.

"Stop it," he said bluntly, and Alzar lunged towards him, but was stopped by Shinon. Alzar was glaring at Ryuka with fire in her eyes, trying to break out of Shinon's grasp.

It was not that Ryuka was a mean man, it was just that he was very serious all the time and hated being interrupted, which also explained why he was by himself a lot.

"Alzar, Shinon, and I will make sure that the blind girls don't get killed while they go around, and we'll all beat up anyone who tries to stop us. Is this understood?

"Aye," they all replied, including Meili and Sanaki, who didn't seem to mind being called the "blind girls". Alzar was the only one not to respond, and Shinon let her go.

"What do you want," said Ryuka, and he sounded irritated,

"All I wanted," said Alzar "was to ask you what you meant by "Brother and Sister"; is it REALLY that difficult to take 7 seconds of your 'precious time' to answer that question, or have you been inhaling too many fumes from your forges again?"

"No," said Ryuka, "When I get down to business it comes before all. Summed up, shut up until my plans are finished."

Alzar was not going to put up for that.

"Why you..." she snapped, and Ryuka, aware that she was about to shoot fire at him, whipped out one of his many swords and began deflecting her blows. The others knew better than to get in the way of one of The Four Benders, so they figured that this battle would just have to play its course. Alzar was fiercely bending, but Ryuka's weapon skills and deflection tactics worked like a charm.

Eventually Alzar stopped firebending, and drew the dragon-hilted sword that was her trademark weapon, and the two of them began clashing blades. Alzar was incredibly fast, and Ryuka was much faster than he looked. Steel hit steel and sparks literally were flying.

One thing about Alzar's fighting style was that she constantly switched which hand her sword was in, and she was often darting around really quickly, her bare feet generally rather far apart in her stances.

Even with her sword, Alzar used her powerful feet quite often, launching eye-level kicks towards Ryuka. Eventually she ended up kicking Ryuka's sword from his hands, and the two of them were locked in a fist fight. Alzar was not weak; she just about matched up to Shinon or Aiku (Zinjamyn was the strongest physically out of The Four Benders), despite looking like one of those delicate high-class ladies.

Having been with people of this sort all her life (these wee her best friends) her sort of took after them. Nonetheless, Ryuka had strength that was not to be underestimated either, and he took no regard to Alzar being a woman. Generally in this day and age though, no one did, as women were generally just as good as fighters as men. They were usually faster, while men were usually more powerful.

Ryuka slammed Alzar to the ground, pinning her, and with one fell stroke he has swiped a knife across the soles of Alzar's feet, cutting them open. Alzar yelled from the pain and stopped trying to attack. She acknowledged defeat.

"The more we wait, the more of the area The Order will cover," said Iresu, now that the fight was over, as trying to talk to any of The Four Benders during one of their fights was near impossible. "We need to stop fighting amongst ourselves and get out there."

"Aye," Royota added, frowning at Ryuka; he then turned to Alzar though and answered her question.

"He called Iresu and I Brother and Sister because we are related. Iresu is my younger sister. I had rights to the Earth kingdom Throne, but I turned it down in favor of the military. I could not rule a nation, for I lack the political skills that my sister has. My leadership skills belong with the military."

"Was it that hard," Alzar yelled, clearly very angry, "one simple question and you have to treat me like I'm trying to kill you. Get a life, Ryuka, get out and GET A LIFE."

Her next reaction was so sudden that Ryuka did not quite catch it. She jerked forward to throw Ryuka off of her, and then she limped away, leaving bloodstained footprints behind her.

"I'm staying with her," said Shinon flatly, "Ryuka, your battle tactics are good, but your people skills are disgraceful. I wish you all luck in the battle. And please, don't treat those young girls as pawns or spirits help me, I will hunt you down. Don't ever treat Alzar like that again."

Ryuka said nothing, and he, Meili, Sanaki, Iresu, and Royota left to fight in that part of the community.

"What an insensitive jerk," said Meili bluntly to Sanaki, obviously talking to Ryuka, "I bet the only reason they let him in was because he was good with weapons. What a freak."

"Well," said Sanaki, "he's clearly not a bender, and aye, he doesn't seem very nice; poor Alzar though... that made me upset too."

Ryuka was listening to the, but said nothing. He had sort of made himself look really bad just now, and knew he was going to pay for it one Aiku and Zinjamyn returned as well, for they would side with their lifelong friend Alzar long before they would side with him. They left the hideout, and with the exception of Shinon and Alzar, it was completely deserted.

Shinon followed the bloody footprints and found Alzar in a room by herself. He heard sobbing as he opened the door and found Alzar in there bawling. This was something no one ever saw, not even the other 3 Benders. Alzar almost never cried in front of anyone, let alone bawled. And yet she had left the door open a crack; as if she was inviting Shinon in. she would lock the door when she wanted to be alone.

Like Sanaki Li Chan from whom she descended, Alzar was not immune to the traditional emotions of a Sanaki-descendant. Shinon knew that she needed comfort right now, and lots of it.

Surprisingly, both Meili and Sanaki were actually sort of 'pumped' for their upcoming battle. They were actually part of the Avatar Guard's fighting Force, but they understood that Ryuka had given them a generally non-fighting task, as instructing underage figures to fight was something the Avatar Guard was famous for not doing. However, Meili and Sanaki were both willing to fight, and their tasks had the chance of enabling that for them.

"You ready for this," said Meili, smirking slightly,

"Aye," Sanaki replied, "blind people are the best."

They both laughed at their joke as they headed towards the part of the city. Iresu and Royota saw the armies marching towards the place just outside the area they had targeted as their marshalling point before the war. There were mostly Earth Kingdom Soldiers, but there were also several Zuroc Sensei in the mix—a rarity, but not unheard of.

"So this is it," Ryuka muttered, "hmm..."

Alzar and Shinon not coming was a damper in Ryuka's plan, but he knew he wasn't going to back out of it. He had to go through with this action for the sake of Ba Sing Se, despite things Not Going as Planned.


	36. Chapter 36: Young Katara's Mother

Chapter 36: Young Katara's Mother

Shinon was both sad and angry at seeing Alzar bawling into the bed the way she was (for once again, Alzar had gone into a bedroom). Alzar never did this. Something was really wrong.

"Alzar," said Shinon, knowing that although her feet were bleeding profusely, that this was not what was making her cry the way she was, "what's the matter? Talk to me, Alz; I'm here."

He procured some water and began gently massaging Alzar's feet with a combination of healing techniques to close the gaping wounds.

Alzar just continued bawling.

Shinon sighed. "Alzar," he said, "come on. You know that the only way I can help you is if I know what the problem is. Talk to me, Alz. We've been best friends since we were kids. You were always able to talk to me; and if not me, then Ike or Zinj."

Alzar still did not respond. Shinon growled, mostly to himself though. None of it was directed at Alzar.

"I hate seeing a grown woman cry like this," he grumbled, "Ryuka; I swear if you ever treat Alzar like this again it'll be you who winds up crying."

Incidentally, Alzar was known for getting into a lot of fights, even as a kid. Because she hung out with lower class people than her, many of them thought it would be fun to try and "jump the rich kid". The problem with this logic was that unlike most "rich kids" this "rich kid" actually knew how to fight, and she knew how to fight well.

Shinon sat down on the bed next to her and lifted up her face. Alzar's cheeks were red with tears. One of her hands instinctively moved her bangs over her eyes, as was another trademark of any descendant of Sanaki Li Chan—the ability to cover one's eyes with one's bangs.

However, Shinon noticed how red her eyes were before she could hide them. Alzar actually proceeded to undo her topknot as well, just letting her hair fall into her face. Shinon moved Alzar's bangs out of her face and looked directly into her eyes. Had Alzar not been blind, she would be looking right back at him.

"I thought he was my friend," said Alzar after a moment of silence.

Shinon had no reply for this. Ryuka had sort of crossed the line this time considering what he had gotten mad at her for.

"I'm sorry Alzar," said Shinon, "you know how Ryuka is though... he's sort of apart from all the rest of us; he's always so aloof."

"He's too serious," said Alzar, "I'd actually be willing to say he's secretly serving The Order."

"I doubt it," said Shinon, "he just doesn't like to be interrupted."

"It was just a simple question," said Alzar angrily, "he could have taken 7 seconds out of his 'perfect schedule' to answer me."

"I'm not saying this is your fault, Alz," said Shinon, "I'm just saying that that's what Ryuka does. I'm not saying you have to accept it... I... I don't know exactly how to solve it. I am going to take it up with him though. He has absolutely no right to treat you that way."

"Don't do that," said Alzar, "it makes me seem like a squealer."

"Alzar," said Shinon, "don't be ridiculous. You telling me this didn't change my views any. I thought that that whole act was outrageous upon seeing it. I care about you, Alzar, and I don't want Ryuka's seriousness to trump your importance. He really does need to 'get a life' as you put it; he's too aloof and in his own world."

Alzar did not say anything. Shinon smiled and lifted Alzar into his arms.

"I remember Zinj, Ike, and I used to do this with you all the time," he chuckled, "you always were light."

Alzar didn't say anything, but she sniffled again. She started to take deep breaths and tried to wind down.

"How are your feet," Shinon asked,

"Better," said Alzar, "but they still hurt. It's just... now I'm confused. What's gotten into Ryuka? He's never done that before. What made him snap like that? That bothers me—a lot."

"Maybe we should take a walk," said Shinon, "let's get out—get some fresh air; stretch a bit;"

"During a battle," Alzar exclaimed,

"There's always one going on somewhere, Alz," Shinon replied, "but this one was not on a large enough scale to do real harm. Sometimes it's just best if we let fate play its role."

Alzar shrugged, "alright," she said, and climbed out of Shinon's arms.

"Come here," said Shinon, putting his arms around Alzar; they might have both been all grown up now, but there were some things that they had been doing for so long that it made no difference.

Granted, Shinon, Aiku, and Zinjamyn had done this with each other before, but only because these four (the three and Alzar) were practically siblings. To see one of them putting an arm around another was like a brotherly relationship, and nothing more.

Alzar returned the favor, and the two of them went out and about. They headed in a southwest direction away from the war, but they figured that minor wars like this probably happened all over the place (and were right. this was not a huge deal).

"So where are we going," Alzar asked,

"Do you have a destination in mind," Shinon asked, facing Alzar (though she was facing forward, her blind eyes not pointed at anything)

"No," Alzar replied, "I didn't—oh!"

Alzar bumped into a woman who looked to be in her mid-to-late 30s. She was a Water Tribe woman with a stony face, and she had long, dark brown hair that was impossibly curly and ratty-looking.

"She feels familiar," Alzar thought, "as if I have felt a person like you before once."

"My apologies," said Alzar, "I suppose I should be more careful."

"It's okay," the woman replied, "I need to stop daydreaming."

She looked upset. Shinon was still observing her face, mainly her eyes. There was something familiar about that face, but the eyes seemed different. Shinon blinked, and for a split-second, he saw the woman in red. At once it clicked as to who this was.

"Katara," Shinon exclaimed, and the woman paused.

"How did you know my name," she asked, looking at him with a familiar look that Katara Altina II gave. Naturally, Shinon had guessed her full name was Katara Altina I because of her similarity in appearance to Katara Altina II. This was Katara's mother.

"Do you know Katara Altina II," said Alzar, suddenly catching on with Shinon. Katara II's fame was widespread, as a powerful bender such as her was hard to go unnoticed.

The woman's eyes widened.

"You know where my daughter is," she exclaimed,

"Actually," said Alzar guiltily, "we... err... don't. well, she was last seen in the Fire Nation, and that's the latest report we've received of her."

"But is she alive," said Katara I excitedly, "is my baby alive?"

At once Alzar and Shinon both knew that Katara II meant a lot to her. They also knew that Katara II had a brother.

"We do know of the whereabouts of your son though," said Shinon, "Chief Tenoko of the Water Tribes says he is stationed at the Northern Water Tribe right now."

Katara I looked ready to cry.

"My babies," she said, though they were 18 (Sokka) and 15 (Katara), "I... I don't know what to say. I would never have guessed they were still alive. I need to see them again."

"Well," said Alzar, "we have sort of been searching for an objective, and so if that means going to the Northern Water Tribe to find your son and then to the Fire Nation to find your daughter, then so be it."

"Please tell me you're not joking," she said, "for I could not take that. It is not something I would be able to take lightly."

"We aren't joking, Katara," said Shinon, "we honestly have nothing to do. If you want to come with us, then we can start making arrangements right now. Just come with us."

As a result of all this, Alzar and Shinon's 'walk' did not last long, but they didn't mind. They had found a valuable character that would likely bring Katara II back to their side, wherever she was. According to Zakura's reports, she had not been seen since The Dark Warrior showed up. It seemed that Katara Altina II was on the run.

They ended up going back the long way to their hideout, and by sundown that day, the others had returned, looking rather battered. Ryuka said nothing, but went into one of his back rooms, and was limping. Meili and Sanaki were for the most part unhurt, and Royota and Iresu had only sustained minor injuries.

The Order had only taken half of what they had expected to, so this was a plus for The Avatar Guard. Shinon stayed there to introduce Katara I to the rest of them, and Alzar went off to find Ryuka and clear her side of the story. If Ryuka did not want to apologize as well, then all the guilt would be his.

"Look Ryuka," she said, entering the room, "I'm sorry for overreacting with you telling me to shut up, but honestly, you took it too far back there. Is something wrong?"

"I have no excuse," Ryuka replied flatly.

"Still," said Alzar, "you need better people skills. If you treat your friends like that you'll be left with no friends. Luckily Zakura beats me up enough that I'm able to put up with lots of crap. However, too much crap and even I'll crack. You got that?"

Ryuka said nothing, but merely nodded. Alzar stepped out, her job done. She returned to the lounge, where Katara I was. She was still surprised that they had found Young Katara's Mother.


	37. Chapter 37: It Was Her Native Element

Chapter 37: It Was Her Native Element

Orzon and Ayumi were surprised to find Katara back inside the palace. She was asleep, and unfortunately, Ayumi found her before Orzon did. She was rather upset, and for no good reason really.

"Where did you run off to," she snapped, after jerking Katara awake. Katara was naturally startled at first, but she composed herself as best as an emotionally unstable 15-year-old girl could.

"I was away," she replied, "and I heard that The Dark Warrior was at your battle winning it for you, so I don't see why you're complaining."

Katara's disrespect for the Fire Lady would have cost anyone else their life. However, Orzon took a fancy for the girl, and even he understood just how hostile Ayumi was.

Most people respected her out of fear, for she was powerful. Katara on the other hand, had been declared by the Fire Lord himself as more powerful than them, and so it was logical to assume that Katara was not put to death because she would be able to fight back—and win (provided she didn't blow herself up).

"How did you know about The Warrior of the Black Hand," she asked, "you were not even at the battle."

"My Lady," said Katara, actually showing signs of respect for once, "I WAS the Dark Warrior."

Ayumi actually stopped in pure disbelief. Naturally she did not buy this story. No one would have likely done so, as the destruction caused seemed far too great to have been done by a 15-year-old girl.

"You lie," she said, not ready to accept this,

"Aye," Katara shrugged, "I do, your highness. Everyone does. This was just another one of those lies. I know The Dark Warrior because I ran into him once as a child. And I knew he was at the battle because news of your victory spread like wildfire, and much of the credit was given to that man. I mean think about it; I couldn't do something like that could I?"

"You could match him," Ayumi replied flatly, "he mentioned your name several times. He had the same sense of disrespect that you do."

"So why don't you kill me," Katara shrugged; at this point she probably would not have cared if they did; "I mean; such disrespect for The Fire Lady shouldn't go unpunished."

Ayumi stopped for a split-second, and was rapidly processing this thought. She knew the answer, and it involved the phrase "because you would fight back"; and chances are, that Katara would. It may not have been intentional fighting back, but her instincts would kick in and her firebending reflex would go off somehow like it usually did. This was how Katara would sporadically 'blow herself up'.

"Picture my attacks on you as punishment, girl," she replied hotly, "and watch yourself. Even the most powerful fighters can be taken down if they go unaware."

"The same holds true with you, Fire Lady," Katara muttered under her breath, but Ayumi either didn't hear her or ignored, her, for she stepped out of the room without another word. Katara got up and quietly followed behind her, just curious to find out where she was going. Ayumi went into the Fire Lord's Hall, where Katara assumed Orzon was, and after she shut the door with a 'boom', Katara returned to her room. She gathered her few belongings and actually left the palace.

She didn't really have a destination in mind, but she left the Fire Nation Capital. She had taken a bit of money, which she justified by saying it was 'pay' for all the trouble they had put her through (all of her training sessions were pretty much like her first) and was gone. She boarded a ship that was heading south, and thought no more of it. At the moment, she was thinking of The Dark Warrior. Which side did he fight for? Where was he, and why did he find her power so interesting? Katara was actually asking herself that last question while on the ship.

"Why am I so powerful," she thought, wandering around the ship as it made its way presumably towards the Southern Water Tribe, "how is it that I, a 15-year-old girl with no proper training, am better than the Fire Lord himself? I taught myself what I know, and yet, he himself said I was better than him. How is that possible?"

Katara was deep in thought for much of the journey. She also seemed on edge, as if she was waiting for something to happen, but as evening set in, nothing did. Nonetheless, Katara was ready for anything.

Not far away, in the village of Toku; Cheng, Mulan, Zinjamyn, Kimiko, Lehran, (and Altina) and Tenoko, among the others, were prepared for battle, for as the sun had gone down, they had seen lights on the horizon, which they figured were the ships of The Order. They knew The Order was going to attack them, and since this was not a surprise attack or anything, it was more of a warning.

Incidentally, there were no lights on in the water tribe village other than a few that made it look like normal village life was going on there. Unless a person was in the village itself, they would not have had any idea that it was swarming with Kyoshi Warriors. Among them were Cheng, Mulan, Zinjamyn, Tenoko, Kimiko, and Lehran. Altina was on Lehran's back, much to the surprise of some people. Altina was a durable child though, and was set in a snug enough manners that she shouldn't get hurt by Lehran's fast movements during combat. Lehran was next to Kimiko, and Kimiko's soft hands were both clasped around one of his.

"Are you frightened," he asked her gently, and she looked up at him.

"Aye," she replied, "just a little."

"It's okay to be sacred," said Lehran, "I myself am not necessarily comfortable either having a battle on my doorstep. Just stay with me and I'll protect you."

He took one of Kimiko's hands and clasped it between both of his.

"Your hands are cold," he exclaimed,

"They'll warm up," Kimiko replied, "I just need to get some fire flowing through them. I'm waiting for the battle."

"Alright," said Lehran, "I was just worried a little."

Kimiko turned back to facing forward. She was to his right, so he saw the scarred side of her face. He couldn't notice very well in the darkness, but she had another weak smile on her face. They waited for a while longer in silence.

The ships actually ended up landing in the port, and this was where the battle began. They knew an ambush was here, but they were not aware of the exact magnitude of it. On board their ships were Water Tribe Warriors and Fire Nation soldiers. They sprung out and started to attack anyone nearby. Luckily all the villagers had gone into hiding, so the only people to attack were the Kyoshi Warriors. To the surprise of Zinjamyn's group though, a lone figure had shot into the fray in front of the Kyoshis and fighting furiously. It was a firebender, but no one could tell who it was, except for Lehran.

The only way he knew who the firebender was, was because moments earlier, she had been standing next to him. It was Kimiko.

None of them had seen her fighting style up until now, and they at last understood why her family had been targeted and why they were prominent members of The Avatar Guard. Kimiko had made a huge dragon out of her flames, and using it, she was wreaking absolute havoc. Waterbenders and firebenders alike were trying to either pull it apart (firebenders) or put it out (waterbenders), but to no avail.

"We strike at once," said Zinjamyn to Tenoko, and she passed the word along to the Kyoshi Warriors that were in the back and more hidden. They planned to finish their enemy with overwhelming force. Kimiko, still fight with her flaming dragon, beckoned Lehran and told him to commandeer the ship that was directly in front of her.

"What about you," he asked, still surprised at what she was doing,

"I'm fine," she replied, "take my word for it, Lehran"

Lehran used some skilled waterbending to take himself right through the enemy and up onto the edge of the ship, which he scaled with no difficulty; a surprising feat. Cheng was on one side, and was commanding a group of Kyoshis to surround them, and they were doing so quite effectively. These Kyoshi Warriors were not afraid of anything, and many of them were waterbenders even, so seeing some take to the waters was no surprise. Cheng was a pretty good firebender himself, and slowly but surely they surrounded their enemies. Lehran, once he had commandeered the control room of one of the ships, turned it towards one of the other ones and had rammed it, damaging both ships, and eventually they both began sinking.

Lehran bailed out and began running towards the back of the ship, which was closest to the shore. He lunged off the boat and used waterbending to pave himself a bridge which he glided down and back onto the icy coast of the village. He thought for sure he would be surrounded, and he was—but by the Kyoshi Warriors, not The Order.

With two of their three ships taken down and the rest of the armies either dead or surrounded, the victory at Toku was easily secured by The Avatar Guard. Their plan had been a success, and the Kyoshi Warriors comprising the 35th Division were much more effective than Zinjamyn thought. Kimiko's move though, was the most surprising. Because of how un-shy she was while she was actually fighting, it seemed that It Was Her Native Element.


	38. Chapter 38: We're Back Together Again

Chapter 38: We're Back Together Again

"So we lost," said Taki, sitting up in her bed; she had gotten some nasty wounds from the fight, and it was Koara's healing magic that had saved her. She just needed some rest. "Do we just dwell on that fact or do we move on to a new frontier?"

"I'm surprised you're the one to talk," Zakura chuckled, "you're half dead. Cheng-Cheng might be disappointed if he can't have his Taki."

Taki giggled. "That's the spirit, Zak," she said, "I don't care if I'm hurt. Your objective's more important than mine."

Zakura looked at her and raised an eyebrow;

"But can we meet up with Zinjamyn's group soon?" she said, almost sounding like a little child, "I do want to see Cheng-Cheng again."

Koara, who was also in the room, raised an eyebrow. Taki whimpered and gave Zakura puppy eyes. Zakura laughed.

"Fine," she said, laughing, "Provided you think fast."

Unfortunately, Taki didn't, and before she knew it, Zakura had dislocated Taki's jaw. Naturally, it hurt Taki, which only added to the pain she had suffered from the war. She whimpered again, not getting angry like Zakura had hoped.

"Awww, don't make me feel bad now, Taki..."

But before Zakura could do anything, Koara had stepped in and repaired Taki's jaw. The technique Zakura used to "break" someone's jaw actually only dislocated it, and with a simple waterbending technique it was easily fixable.

"Taki," said Zakura, "what do you call a woman with a dislocated jaw,"

Taki didn't answer. She expected it had something to do with her.

"I don't know what you call 'em, but I'd call her Alzar."

Taki chuckled. "You don't need to make fun of Alzar to make me feel better though," she said, "just give me my Cheng-Cheng."

"I wasn't making fun of her," said Zakura, "tell her that joke and she'll probably just challenge me to an Agni Kai. It's what she does. She's outgrown getting mad at me about it. Shinon might get annoyed though."

"Well," said Aiku, stepping in, "you do seem to bust her jaw quite often,"

"You know why too, I presume," said Zakura, "but hey, enough bickering. I'm gonna go get us a boat out of here. I'll see you all in the Southern Water Tribe."

"This soon," Aiku exclaimed, "whatever for,"

"Maybe to tell the reinforcements I ordered from the Southern Water Tribe to call it off," Zakura replied,

"Wait," Aiku exclaimed, "seriously?"

"Of course not, stupid," Zakura replied bluntly, laughing, "I'm the avatar. I do what I want. And right now I want to go to the Southern Water Tribe and find out how our friends there are doing. I wonder if they've won their war or not."

"Ooh, bloodshed," Taki exclaimed, her mouth twisting into a huge grin, "let's go, let's go, let's go!"

"Calm down, Taki," said Zakura, "I'll twist your arm if you try to go in fighting in your condition. You need rest."

"What," Taki snapped, "I'm fine. I've never felt better."

"Stand up," said Zakura, grinning. Taki did so with no difficulty.

"Try not to buckle," Zakura warned, and then snapped a piece of cloth at Taki's thigh. She winced in pan and went onto her knee. She did the same thing to Koara, and she didn't flinch. It was just to prove that Taki was still pretty badly wounded. She stood back up. Zakura poked her stomach, and she again flinched heavily.

"Ouch," she snapped, "ooh..." she pulled her hand away and pulled up her shirt. The bleeding had stopped, but she still had a nasty wound on her stomach. Koara said that it would close up to the point where it would almost be unnoticeable, but for now it was going to hurt.

"Well, Taki," said Zakura, "Get dressed. We're still going, even if you are hurting. You know that I couldn't stop you on one of your bloodlust crazes anyways—or rather, I wouldn't waste my time trying.

Taki laughed and began putting her Kyoshi Armor back on (she was obviously not naked before that, but she was also obviously not sleeping in all that gear)

Within 15 minutes Taki was completely decked out, but even in her Kyoshi armor the noble warrior was limping and staggering. She was clearly badly injured. Nonetheless, Koara had done all she could; Taki just needed rest to let herself heal. Nonetheless, within the next hour or so their group was on a small boat headed for The Southern Water Tribe. With them was what was left of the 9th, 10th, 13th, and 18th divisions. The 21st Division remained in the Fire Nation for the time, as it was the one that was mostly intact.

Since the Order invaders were coming from the east (and were stopped at Toku before they could reach the Southern Capital) and Zakura's group was coming from the west, they had no trouble reuniting, and good friends met once again.

Aiku met back up with Zinjamyn, Zakura said hi to Mulan, Lehran laughed to see Koara unhurt, and Cheng actually jumped on top of Taki, being completely ignorant that she was in great pain from her injuries. Luckily for them Taki was just looking for a room and happened to find Cheng in one, (therefore they were in private) because before Taki was able to explain how much she was hurting, (especially after getting knocked onto her back) Cheng's mouth was all over hers.

Although Cheng was too absorbed in the moment, Taki was trying to push him back. She needed to tell him how much she was hurting right now, but naturally, Cheng didn't want to stop. Taki was actually fine with it as well, but she needed to tell him something.

Unfortunately for them, Zakura ended up passing by, and all she heard was Taki's groaning, which came from her trying to push Cheng back. However, to Zakura, they had a completely different meaning. The door suddenly flew open and Zakura was standing there, grinning. Cheng pulled back, and Taki stopped.

"Wow you two are good," she said, "I'll leave you be now."

And surprisingly, Zakura left, but she was laughing to herself.

"Cheng-Cheng," said Taki earnestly, "I just wanted to tell you something"

"What's wrong, Taki," he asked, looking slightly worried based on the tone she was using,

"That really hurt," she replied, and she pointed to the places on her body where she still had sensitive wounds; "I as hit here, here, and here," she said, "and well, getting tackled to the ground wasn't the nicest on the wound on my back either. All I'm asking is can we ease up or go somewhere more friendly than the floor?"

"I didn't know you were hurt, sweetie, he said apologetically, "I just missed you is all,"

Taki giggled. "You don't think I missed my Cheng-Cheng," she said, starting to fake-whimper, "I... I'm hurt."

Cheng laughed, hoisted Taki gently into his arms, and, despite all her heavy gear, Cheng lifted her up with little difficulty. From their, their time was their own.

"So," said Zakura, "I take it from the surrounding area that there was a glorious victory here as opposed to our glorious loss in the Fire Nation, am I correct?"

"Aye," Koara replied, "Kimiko in particular was incredible."

"Really now," said Zakura, raising an eyebrow, "what exactly did she do,"

"Well," Koara replied, "for one thing she reminded me why her family was so prestigious. That girl had talent just as much as they did."

"You didn't answer my question," Zakura laughed,

"She used a dragon," Koara replied, "it was huge and fiery. I forgot that the Nagishima family had been famous for their ability to make dragons of fire. She almost single-handedly held them off for the first while. I wonder what sorts of other secrets that kid has..."

"I see," Zakura replied, "but now I have another thing to ask: do any of you here know of The Warrior of the Black Hand?"

This caused Tenoko to move, as she had been snoring in the corner, her head tilted back and a line of saliva dripping from the corner of her mouth. She snorted and stirred, but didn't wake up.

"Tenoko," Zakura barked, just to wake her up, but she soon learned that that was a dumb move. Tenoko sprung awake and instinctively threw water at whatever was directly in front of her, which happened to be Zakura, who was now soaking wet, her arms crossed.

"I'm awake," she said, "hand me another drink."

"Alright," Zakura replied, and bending the water off of her, she threw it back at Tenoko, who spluttered, and now was REALLY awake. Zakura asked the question again, and Tenoko's eyes popped open.

"The Warrior of the Black Hand," she exclaimed, sounding serious for once, "aye, I knew him. I was the one who ended up defeating him."

"He's back," Zakura replied, and Tenoko's jaw dropped. Her reactions were a little more extreme because as always, Tenoko's mind was not all there; nonetheless, she was aware of what Zakura was saying.

"How," Tenoko exclaimed, "he's dead."

"That's what I theorized," Koara said, "but the black armor was unmistakable. I believe someone else has taken that name, but who is powerful enough to do that other than that one girl,"

"Katara Altina II," said Tenoko, still thoroughly soaked, "no, it couldn't be her, could it?"

"If it was," said Koara, "she did a good job at controlling herself and covering her voice. I guess we'll worry about it when we see her or The Dark Warrior next, you know?"

"Aye," said Zakura, "let's enjoy this victory while we can. I mean, sure there's gonna be more hard times coming, but at least We're Back Together Again."


	39. Chapter 39: Their Wedding Day

Chapter 39: Their Wedding Day

Cheng and Taki were happy to be alone again. Taki was relaxing on the bed at this point, Cheng next to (or rather, most likely on top of) her. Right now though instead of their usual activities, they jus seemed to be starting into each other's eyes.

"You're gorgeous," Cheng exclaimed, "I've never seen a woman as beautiful as you before. I mean, I thought it was just my drive for your body at first, but... this is different. It's just... I..."

"You what," Taki asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Cheng replied, "it's just... I... I think that I... I love you, Taki. I honestly love you with all my heart and soul."

"y-you do," Taki exclaimed, "I mean, I knew from the moment I met you that I was attracted to you, but I just thought it was natural. I didn't know what that feeling was before meeting you."

"Have you ever been with another person," Cheng asked,

"Well," said Taki, "if you're saying that in the context that I think you are; then no, I haven't. If you mean have I been out on dates with other guys, then my answer is aye. I assume you have before as well?"

"The same way," Cheng replied, "and yet never in the other context; it's almost like we were made for each other or something,"

Taki smiled, "I like the way that sounds. In fact, no, I don't like it—I love it. I love it the same way I love you—sincerely."

"So, um," Cheng stammered, "about what Zakura said,"

"Um," Taki stammered, "what about it? I mean, do you really think,"

"No, I," Cheng stammered, "It was... um... was it? Do you really think you and I should... do that?"

Taki paused for a moment and sat up, staring him straight in the eyes.

"Do you mean it," she asked sincerely,

"Aye," Cheng replied firmly, "if you desired it the way I would, I would agree with you completely and immediately."

"It's just that we've only known each other for such a short time." Said Taki, "It just seems like a legend—or like in a few months we'd break up or something. It actually sort of worries me."

"Do you trust me," Cheng asked, "do you feel that I would betray you?"

Taki paused for a moment,

"I do," she said, "I do trust you. If that trust was ever broken, I'd... I'd..."

"Taki," said Cheng, planting a light kiss on her cheek, "if you trust me, then worrying about me betraying you wouldn't be a problem."

Taki smiled, "would you ever betray me," she asked, "even if you did find a woman prettier than I was,"

Cheng laughed.

"Taki, don't be ridiculous," Cheng, "I didn't first fine you interesting because you were attractive..."

Taki just glared at him.

"Okay," said Cheng, scratching the back of his head, "maybe that was what got me to first start liking you, but now it's much more. Now, I don't care how pretty or ugly you are. Right now, what I want is the personality inside the woman of my dreams. The fact that she's also the most beautiful woman in the world is just an added bonus. I would never 'betray' you, Taki. If mythical women prettier than you really exist like you say they do, (though I doubt that they do) I could care less. This is the woman I want to me mine... all mine..."

"So," said Taki, "you don't just want me for my body,"

"Of course not," Cheng replied, "you're much more than that. You always played hard to get. That's a sign that you weren't just trying to offer yourself up to the first guy who you liked. I respect that."

Taki smiled. "You're the first man to ever tell me that," she said, tears forming in her eyes, "and now I'm certain that I want to be with you—for all time and eternity."

Cheng smiled; "in that case, maybe Zakura will end up having a wedding to crash after all. Would you really want to, despite us only knowing each other as short a time as we have?"

"Aye," Taki replied, "to be with you for all time and eternity... death cannot separate us; I want that. I need it."

"I do too," said Cheng, putting his arms around her, "I was around the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors while I was here, and we talked about you a lot—mostly me. Do you know why? It was because you kept coming into my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about when the next time I was going to see you were. And well, when I DID see you I had no further control. I just wanted to be with you—to hold you in my arms."

Taki smiled again, sniffling slightly this time.

"I love you," she said, squeezing him and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Taki," said Cheng, "If I could have just one wish, I would wish to wake up everyday to the sound of your breath on my neck, the warmth of your lips on my cheek, the touch of your fingers on my skin, and the feel of your heart beating with mine... knowing that I could never find that feeling with anyone but you."

Taki was in tears by the time Cheng finished.

"That..." she started, "that was beau..." but broke down before she could even finish the word.

"Now do you understand how strong my love for you is," he asked, "it's not just a game of being all over each other, Taki Masahiro; this is love."

"Then I want more of it," she said, tears still flowing freely down her face, "I need more of it."

"So be it," said Cheng, smiling, "time and all eternity it is, then."

Ironically, Cheng and Taki didn't even have to tell anyone that they planned to be married. It seemed that somehow, someone (Taki had a *very* shrewd idea as to who this 'someone' was) had found out and had told everyone, for when they came out of the room together the next morning [fully clothed of course], they received a congratulations from Koara, who happened to be walking by.

"Congratulations on what," Cheng exclaimed,

"On your and Taki's marriage of course," Koara replied, "Zakura seemed particularly happy for you two.

Taki grumbled a little.

"What's the matter, child," Koara asked,

"She gets into our business too much," she said, "it's like she set us up."

"Hey," said Zakura, "don't be breaking up just yet. I just saved you the stress of all that organization. It helps being the avatar. It doesn't take very long to organize things when you've got cash."

"How long were we in there," Taki exclaimed,

"Just a night," Zakura replied, "don't ask how I did what I did, just play along. Would I really be doing this if I didn't want to see you two together? You two are cute. I admire that."

Both Cheng and Taki were speechless. They were still trying to figure out why on earth Zakura was so obsessed with putting them together. And yet, they both wanted it as well; they just could not figure out the avatar's logic. What was she thinking?

"Is there something you want from us," said Taki, deciding to be the one to talk, "I mean; it seems that you've been pulling all the strings in mine and Cheng's relationship. What's going on?"

"I just think you two make a cute couple," Zakura replied, "maybe it's just something I don't think I'll get. Be thankful, and most importantly, be happy. Do you honestly think that I'm some sort of matchmaking service? I'm single myself, so I'm obviously doing something wrong if I am."

"But why," said Cheng "why us? Did you know we were this compatible?"

"no," said Zakura, "I initially just wanted you two to like each other so I could annoy you about it, but then you two started to not be scared to admit you were fond of each other, and I grew fond of how cute you two are together. So go on, kiss the bride."

A week later, Cheng was told similar words by the sage who was marrying them. Zakura had literally planned everything for them, and it went out without a hitch. Needless to say, it was not a mere kiss that Cheng landed on his bride, but rather a full face-locking.

"Now hold that pose," said Zakura, laughing, "I've got a little friend here who's gonna make you something."

Zakura's "little friend" was a teenage girl with long, impossibly curly brown hair. She kept her face hidden most of the time and was frantically scribbling something down on a piece of paper. Cheng and Taki "held that pose" of lip-locking for several minutes, giving the young girl plenty of time to finish what she was obviously making—a drawing. Once it was finished, Zakura took it and showed it to Cheng and Taki. It was a very accurate depiction of them (making out).

"Who's the girl," Taki asked, looking at it,

"Just a water tribe girl," Zakura replied, "I paid her to draw you two kissing on your wedding day. Did the avatar deliver, or did I deliver?"

Cheng laughed, "thanks, I suppose," he said, smiling alongside Taki;

"Welcome," Zakura replied, "now have your fun. The party is gonna start in a few moments."

Taki meant to get the name of the girl who drew the picture, but she had vanished into the crowd, her blue clothing blending in with that of the other tribes-people who came.

Nonetheless, Zakura really had provided them with quite the treat, having planned everything over the last week. Now they were enjoying it. It was good to know that, even thought they were in a long-time war, that that war was not even able to stop Their Wedding Day.


	40. Chapter 40: Someone Waiting For Them

Chapter 40: Someone Waiting For Them

The earthbender that Zinjamyn and his gang had 'talked' to in Gaoling was nothing like they expected, and ironically, they never expected to see him again. Incidentally, he was only there on a trip of some sort, as shortly after they had departed, he had returned to Ba Sing Se.

It was around this same time that Alzar and Shinon were back at one of the local taverns getting drunk, and maybe by coincidence, he was often seen doing various things around this place.

Meanwhile, back at the base, Katara's mother was still in awe about the place, for it was huge. Additionally, the fact that she had met 2 of The Four Benders and that they had volunteered to take her to the Northern Water Tribe to get her son out of there had her happier than she normally was.

Sanaki on the other hand, was wondering where Meili had gone. She was a rather outgoing little girl, and so when the only person she felt in the room was Katara, she approached her anyways.

"Do you know where Meili went," she asked, for Katara had obviously been introduced to everyone (courtesy of Royota) by this time.

"Meili," said Katara, thinking and remembering who that was, "no, um, I don't. I did see her leave here a while ago and she hasn't come back as far as I've seen, and I've been here since then."

"Oh," said Sanaki, "okie. Thanks anyways."

She smiled at Katara and then turned and she too actually left the base. Katara smiled weakly back as Sanaki skipped away.

Royota appeared shortly afterwards, followed by Ryuka.

"Where are you two going," she asked curiously,

"I'm not sure about Ryuka," said Royota, "but I need to go find Alzar and Shinon, both of whom are most likely very drunk."

Ryuka said nothing, and he didn't stop when Royota did, so Katara assumed they were on different missions.

"I guess I'll go with you," she said, standing up. Her clothing was much like that of young Katara's, except it was Water Tribe style, as she was a waterbender. (Her husband had been a firebender, which is where Katara II picked it up from)

Having known The Four Benders most of his life, Royota knew exactly where they would be. Along the way they ran into Meili and Sanaki, who had met up sometime while they were out. They both looked a little beaten up, but were grinning.

"What happened to you two," Royota asked them, though he didn't seem angry in the slightest,

"Alleyway brawl," Meili replied, "someone thought it'd be fun to steal my cash, and Sanaki nudged me and we went after 'em."

"I take it from that small, burning mountain I see that you two had some fun there?" he said, slightly chuckling, and Sanaki giggled. Meili grinned.

"Sounds about right," said Meili, "but hey, we're alive. Be thankful."

"I was not worried that you two would be killed, Meili Meisha," said Royota gently, "I just find it amusing is all."

"Alright then," said Meili, and they continued walking, Royota in the lead. Right as they rounded a corner though, Meili's glazed eyes popped open and her left ear twitched like it so usually did when a certain person was in her vicinity. This wasn't a bad thing, but Meili's left hear would twitch whenever she felt the presence of...

"Mom," she said, turning around, and to the surprise of the others, there was Zuki Meisha, complete with an enormous happy smile on a face whose left side held the notorious scar that held many shades of red. Some said it made her more attractive. Zuki however, as always, was just clueless about it, and everything else. She was widely known as The Two-Faced Lady because of how different she looked when looking at her side view from the left compared to the right.

It was much different than the scar Kimiko had on her face—Zuki's covered most of the left side of her face, while Kimiko's was just a decent-sized area around her left eye that extended back a little.

"Meili," said Zuki, holding out her arms; and Meili's instincts as Zuki's child were to run into her arms, and she did.

"Mom," said Meili after they had embraced, "what's Zuki doing here?"

Zuki often got confused when someone addressed her with 'you'. The easiest ways to talk with Zuki and have her understand you were to use her name whenever necessary, even if it made you sound stupid. However, Zuki did recognize her children of course, and when one of them addressed her as "mom", she knew what they meant.

Other than that though, Meili was like Zuki's motherly figure instead of the other way around. It was slightly ironic, but neither Zuki nor Meili minded. Meili did protect her family's honor, and didn't hesitate to beat up anyone who tried to degrade her mother's honor.

"Zuki doesn't know," Zuki replied, "Zuki thinks she was looking for someone. Zuki was looking for her friend."

"Who's Zuki's friend," Meili asked her,

"Zuki's friend's name is Da," Zuki replied, and suddenly they heard someone coming, and a huge man rounded the corner. Zuki's face lit up.

"Da," she exclaimed, and she ran to meet him. The others were pretty much just watching, as they didn't want to interrupt Zuki, and, like Meili, they knew that Zuki was not someone to leave by herself.

"Da does mean 'big'," said Royota, "so I can see why they call him that"

Da was about 7 feet in height, and, like Zuki, was incredibly strong. Unlike Zuki though, who did not look very strong (especially considering how pretty she was and that she was usually wearing a dress), Da had the look and everything. He was a beast of a man. Royota looked at him closely as he grabbed Zuki in a crushing hug that made Zuki yell, grunt and laugh as his arms constricted her.

"ZUKI," he said, still almost crushing her. Zuki was still laughing.

"Is she going to be alright, Mei—Meili?" Sanaki exclaimed, but Meili was gone. She was behind Royota, who was chuckling.

"Aye, I remember this man," he muttered to himself, "Da," he called out, "Come give uncle Royota a hug!"

Da dropped Zuki, who landed rather sharply on her back, and ran over to Royota. Of course, Zuki was alright; but because she looked so fragile it worried some people. Da got Royota in one of his "bear-hugs of death" and after he was done, he targeted Meili. Luckily he must have figured that Sanaki was more delicate than the likes of Meili, for he was much gentler with her.

Surprisingly though, Zuki got up and bear-hugged Da with enough might to make him yell, and this had everyone but Meili surprised. Zuki let Da back down (Zuki was about 5'9"; Da was about 7'0", so Zuki had to lift him into the air—something she was able to do remarkably easily) and then Meili got his attention.

"Da," said Meili quietly, "make sure she stays safe, alright?"

"Da make sure Zuki get home okay, Meili," he said, smiling,

Meili smiled back.

"Thanks," she said, and then turned to the others.

"Alright," she said, "I'm done here. Take care, aright mom?"

Zuki turned and smiled.

"Zuki stays out of trouble this time," she said proudly, and Royota and Katara watched them leave (Meili and Sanaki couldn't watch obviously, being blind and all).

Alzar and Shinon were found out cold in an alleyway. They seemed totally drunk, battered, and slightly bruised.

"Are you two alright," Katara exclaimed, as they were the two people who she was most likely to talk to, since they had brought her in. Alzar was unconscious on Shinon's shoulder, and Shinon was barely around.

"We had a bit too much to drink," said Shinon, "and some of them caught us off guard and took us out."

"You didn't fight back," Royota exclaimed,

"Aye," said Shinon, "we did, but things are a bit harder to focus on when you're wasted. The only reason they didn't take us was because we were two of The Four Benders, and they know that we could whip them."

"Who are "they"," Royota asked;

"We don't know," Shinon shrugged, standing up, and putting his hands underneath Alzar's armpits, hoisting her up. She seemed asleep (as sleep is unconsciousness), but slowly came to consciousness, enabling Shinon to let her stand on her own. "They did do something to us though, but what exactly they did to us slips my mind at this time."

"Let's get you back home then," said Royota, "Katara, can you take Alzar for me, please?"

"Aye" Katara nodded. Though she was generally low-spirited because of the extended separation from her children, Katara I was still a rather friendly woman, for she mostly kept her own troubles to herself. Unfortunately, her daughter was the same way, but on a much more extreme level, being a young woman who dislikes getting help from anyone in general; even when she knows she needs it.

Nevertheless, Royota hoisted up Shinon, and Katara hoisted up Alzar, and together, they, Meili, and Sanaki returned home.

"Are they gonna be Okie," Sanaki asked earnestly

"They should be," said Royota confidently, "I'm not exactly sure what happened, but I guarantee they're not going to die from it. They're far too tough for that."

"Oh," said Sanaki, "okie then."

They had left the base in the late afternoon, and after stopping to talk with Da and Zuki, and then finding Shinon and Alzar it was nearly dark. When they got back to the base, night had fallen. Upon their re-entry though, they had quite the shock—there was Someone Waiting for Them.


	41. Chapter 41: This Is An Advantage

Chapter 41: This Is An Advantage

In front of Royota and Katara stood Ryuka, Zuki and her family, and an earth kingdom boy clad in green and gold. He had tan skin, green eyes, dark brown hair and a mouth that looked like it hadn't been opened to talk in a long time.

"So there is some good in you," said Meili bluntly to Ryuka, "strange. After what you did to Alzar I'm amazed you're still even here."

"Like I told Alzar," said Ryuka, coldly, "I have no excuse. It is past."

Meili's family was all excited to see her again, and she was glad to be united with them for a time. Sanaki went with Meili and was socializing with Meili's family as well. Although Meili and Sanaki were the same age and both had 6 siblings, Meili was the eldest in her family, while Sanaki was the youngest in hers.

Alzar and Shinon were sound asleep, and they didn't look like they felt very good. Nonetheless, Shinon had enough consciousness to say that they were still going to go north tomorrow, regardless of his and Alzar's condition.

"We made a promise to you, Katara, that we would, and we're not about to break it. We were stupid last night, and we don't think that you should have to pay for it."

"What about Alzar though," Katara asked, "She looks worse than you."

"She'll be fine," Shinon replied, "just 'coz she's a rich girl doesn't mean that she's weak stuff. We're all pretty tough kids, but I personally think that Alzar holds the most surprises."

"alright," said Katara, shrugging, "just remember though, I certainly miss my children, but it's not like going a few extra days without seeing them is going to have much of an impact on me, since I haven't seen them for a few years anyways.

"Don't worry about us, Katara," said Shinon, "If it's been that long then you deserve to see them as soon as possible. We'll be leaving tomorrow."

Katara smiled weakly and left the room, returning to the main lounge. She saw Royota, Iresu, Ryuka, talking to the earth kingdom boy, but he wasn't talking back or responding at all. He did seem to move his hands a lot though. Katara figured either he was a prisoner or that he was unable to speak. She sat down next to Ryuka and asked him.

"He's the kid who came to me with the Meisha family," he replied, "and aye, he can't talk, so he's a bit hard to decode."

"What do you know about him so far," Katara asked,

"Not much," Ryuka replied quietly, "just that he's one of those prodigy kids. He's 16 if what he told me is right."

Katara remained there and watched Royota and Iresu talk to the boy.

"Vigo's your name," said Iresu after a while, "Vigo Zakatau? That clears things up a little. I've heard about you before."

Vigo nodded. He then made signs that implied that he wanted to join their "group". Technically, people were not "officially" part of The Avatar Guard until they were 18 years old, but there were some exceptions, namely notorious bending prodigies such as the ones that Zakura had stumbled across, such as Meili, Sanaki, Maric, and Malak.

They told this to him, and he nodded.

"So," said Royota, "though I'm not saying that I am bothered at all by their presence, where did the Meisha family come from?"

"Ask Vigo," said Ryuka, "he was the one who told me they ere in danger."

"But that means that you led them here," said Royota, "and that was a very kind thing for you to do, Ryuka Satoru. That mother is prone to The Order's clutches. She's powerful, she's just not aware of it."

"She's the mother," Ryuka exclaimed, "she acts like a kid. How old is she?"

"If I recall correctly, she's 38," Royota replied, "she's one of those special spirits though, Ryuka. She's precious, make no mistake about it."

"Precious," Ryuka exclaimed, "her kids boss her around. What kind of mother lets her kids do that?"

"Think your words carefully," said Royota, "for she is right behind you."

And sure enough, there was Zuki, standing right behind them, smiling at them with her traditional innocent smile.

"Zuki loves her babies," she said, smiling, and Royota smiled back,

"That's very good, Zuki," he said in response, "you've raised them well."

Zuki smiled and hugged Royota, and he returned it.

"Run play now, Zuki," said Royota, "I need to finish talking about a few things, alright?"

Zuki nodded. "Okie," she said, and she trotted off, possessing a certain grace which came from her beauty, the dress she always wore billowing as she walked, the shoes on her feet not making any noise as she skipped away. She had her arms spread out, so the long sleeves of her dress almost looked like wings.

"So where did Vigo come from," Royota asked,

Vigo looked at them, pointed at Ryuka, and made hand and earthbending movements that told his story. He had recognized Ryuka as part of The Avatar Guard, and knew that the Meisha family, who he knew, were in danger, and thought he could help, and it turned out that Ryuka could in fact help, so it all worked out in the end.

"Welcome to the club then, I guess," Ryuka shrugged, and Vigo nodded.

Nothing else happened that night, and luckily Alzar and Shinon slept peacefully for the most part.

The next morning, Katara was preparing to leave with the others. Zuki wanted to go with them, and Royota figured that since Meili could keep track of her, and that her curiosity might get her caught, they figured that could take her along.

Zuki Meisha was perfectly capable of defending herself because of her amazing strength; she just needed to be informed that she was in danger. A few moments later, Alzar and Shinon showed up, and they both looked clearly miserable, Alzar more so than Shinon.

"Don't mind us," they said, "we're still coming with you."

"Sweet spirits," Katara exclaimed, "you two look absolutely miserable. You look almost like you've been poisoned."

"Look," said Alzar, "we're going with you all. We're fine..."

But right when she said that, she nearly fell over.

"Alzar, Shinon," said Katara, "look, I'm not going to be hurt if you two need to "hold us back" a few days. I haven't seen my children in years. It's not like a few extra days are going to impact me any. I miss them, but I don't want two of The Four Benders to die on my watch."

"That's what being one of The Four Benders is about, Katara," said Shinon, "we put our own personal concerns aside for those of others. I mean, if we didn't, chances are we never would have taught Avatar Zakura anything. She was terrible at first."

"Terrible," said Royota, "I thought you said she was the fastest learner you ever saw."

"That's not that I meant," said Shinon, "I meant that she was cocky and thought she could treat us like crap and get away with it. The problem was, was that she was so good that she probably could."

"Ha," said Royota, chuckling, "she certainly gave the avatar a new name. She's definitely a stubborn Earth Kingdom girl..."

Shinon and Alzar smiled.

"Well," they said, "let's get going. Cho Ling and the rest of their gang can watch over this place."

"What about Sanaki," said Iresu, "Meili might be able to adapt to the cold climate, but Sanaki uses heat to see."

"It's okie," said a little voice behind them, and it was Sanaki of course, "I want to go with you all."

"Hey," said Meili, also stepping up, with Zuki behind her; they seemed to be waiting to leave. They were all technically ready at this point; "if Alzar and Shinon are going to go there's not a good reason to hold Sanaki back either."

Royota shrugged, "I'm not the one trying to tell people to stay back," he chuckled, nudging Katara.

"What," said Katara sheepishly, "I'm just concerned for their safety."

"And that's fine," said Iresu, "but they're stubborn. They're going to come too unless we chain them down."

"Well," said Katara, trying to take on the humorous spirits that the others had, "I think we could do that,"

"Oy," Alzar exclaimed, "none of that,"

"Then let's just shut up and go," Meili laughed, and ironically, that was what happened next. Zuki and Meili waved goodbye to the rest of their family, and later that afternoon they were bound for the Northern Water Tribe. It wasn't a very long voyage, but Vigo noticed something different about it.

"What is it," said Ryuka, who seemed to be the man that Vigo turned to when he wanted to tell the group something. He took out a map and pointed to the destination of the ship. There wasn't a point marked on the map, but according to Vigo's knowledge, that was the location of one of The Order's bases.

"So is this going to work against us," Meili asked, "I mean, we kind of just walked into Order territory by boarding this ship,"

"Not exactly," said Iresu, "because according to Chief Tenoko's logic, she said that the Serenes Waterbenders were taken somewhere near their home in the Northern Water Tribe. So basically, assuming Tenoko's drunken logic is correct (which, if I recall has never been wrong), then we are heading right towards them."

"So was that your ploy," said Ryuka to Vigo, but he just shrugged, indicating he had no idea.

"Hmm," said Royota, "very interesting. I didn't expect it to turn out this way, and yet, This Is an Advantage."


	42. Chapter 42: Reyson And Maric

Chapter 42: Reyson And Maric

Malak woke up the next day with pain around her abdomen, most likely from where she had taken extensive damage. It hurt for her to bend, so she had trouble going from sitting to standing, and had trouble bending down. She had fallen asleep fully dressed, so when she got up she was ready to start the day.

She walked towards the stairs leading down into the main room, but as she bent slightly to descend, she cringed and actually lost her footing, sending her painfully head over heels to the bottom, which ended in a face plant. She grumbled and groaned from the additional pain she was now in, and decided to just lie there a while.

Luckily for her, her "while" didn't last too long, as Reyson showed up a few moments later. Apparently, he had planned to go up and check on her. When he saw the look on her face (and knew that she wasn't in any critical condition) he chuckled.

"Up a bit early, eh" he said, and Malak grumbled.

"I blame your stairs," she said, "after all; it makes life a lot easier when you can tack the blame on something else."

Reyson laughed and held out his hand, "here" he said, "let's get you back on your feet. You seem to balance better."

He took Malak's hand and helped her up. His hands were gentle with hers, and once she was back on her feet he clasped her hand with his other one as well.

"You have soft hands," he commented, "they're nice to hold."

"Um, thanks, I guess," said Malak, and paused.

"You can let my hand go now," she chuckled, and Reyson did so without any hesitation. He could tell it made Malak feel slightly awkward.

"Eh," he said off-handedly, "sorry about that."

"Don't be," Malak chuckled, "it was a cute gesture for a man to help a lady back onto her feet."

She turned around and began looking for a way out. Reyson was following her. Eventually, Malak noticed this.

"What are you doing," she asked,

"Well technically," he said, chuckling, "I'm wondering what you're doing. You've wandered around in circles for several minutes now."

"I want to get out of here," she said bluntly, "I want some fresh air."

Reyson laughed. "You do realize that you can ask for help every once in a while, right," he said, "I mean, even my mother's asked for help before."

"I don't want help though," said Malak, "I'm old enough to do things on my own. I don't need someone next to me all the time."

"There's nothing wrong with having someone next to you, Malak," said Reyson, "those people are usually called friends. Besides, I think you're pretty. You don't deserve to be walking all alone in a world like this."

Malak turned around and glared at him.

"What are you trying to pull," she asked, a clear tone of suspicion on her face, "are you hitting on me?"

"No," said Reyson, "but when I think that someone's pretty I'm going to tell them. Besides, what harm does a compliment do?"

"You really are weird," said Malak, giggling. Luckily though, Reyson's feelings didn't get hurt by such remarks.

"I know," he said, grinning proudly, "and proud of it."

Malak hadn't been expecting this. Now she was determined to beat Reyson at this mind game the two of them were having.

"You're flirting with me, aren't you," she said suspiciously,

"What makes you say that," said Reyson, chuckling, "or are you one of the rebellious princess types,"

"I'm no princess," Malak replied, "just another common Water Tribe girl."

"A common Water Tribe girl with an uncommon talent, and in a *very* uncommon part of an uncommon place;"

"Where exactly are we," Malak asked, looking around at the torch lit room. There were paintings on the walls, and it was much higher than it first appeared. This place was enormous.

"We are in one of five places in the world where schemes are born," said Reyson mysteriously, "many a dark operation have been planned down here. This is the western base. There is one in each of the Water Tribes, one in the Earth Kingdom, and one near the Eastern Air Temple. Great and terrible things have come from the histories of these places.

The Avatar Guard was once like The Order of the Avatar Slayer as far as brutality goes. I would go on about the things my mother has told me about the Secret Service Bases, but I probably shouldn't there were things that shook me."

Malak looked around. The flickering torches made this place seem eerie.

"Are they all like this," Malak asked, "all the bases?"

"Aye, pretty much," Reyson replied, "since I'm going to be part of the Secret Service once I come of age, I know a lot about it."

"I..." Malak started, "can you show me the way out? I want to see the sun again. All this darkness is making me feel... uneasy."

"Of course," said Reyson, whose tactic here was similar to Zeruda's insomuch that he was trying to make Malak feel uncomfortable being where she was, "but you'll have to let go of my wrist first. You're cutting off circulation to my hand."

Malak instantly realized that Reyson was right, and immediately pulled her hand back, blushing fiercely. From here, Reyson showed her how to get out and get some fresh air.

They did so, and headed southwards. They were not aware that as they headed south that they were getting closer and closer to the Order's Western base. However, a town was in their way, and though they didn't run into the Order's base, they did run into...

"Maric," Malak exclaimed, "you... I... Da..." and she was speechless.

"Who's he," Maric asked, pointing at Reyson.

"My name is Reyson," Reyson replied politely. I assume you're Malak's older twin brother?"

"Aye," Maric replied, "and I take it that she's been in good hands I hope?"

"Depends on what exactly you define as 'good hands'," Reyson replied, for he knew that Maric was part of The Order; "she's been well taken care of if that's what you're asking."

"Good," Maric replied, "because I'm done down there. I take it she's told you everything about what I did,"

"Aye," Reyson replied, "and that was why I said it depended on what you saw as 'good hands', for she was and is in the hands of the Avatar Guard. Do not worry though, Master Maric, as she is safe."

"It's not that I don't trust The Avatar Guard," said Maric, "well, not anymore at least. I had a few bad experiences with The Order while I was there. I figured I didn't have to out up with it, and so I just straight up left. I told no one. Granted, they'll be after me once they know what I did, but hey, I know what's what now. I'm done picking sides. I side with my sister in her cause."

"Speaking of which," said Reyson, "where did she go, anyways?"

Maric looked around, and sure enough, Malak was gone.

"I thought she was with you," Maric protested,

"She was," said Reyson, "You saw her. But then we started talking and she must have snuck away. You're not going to blame ME for YOUR sister running away, are you?"

"Well," said Maric, "what exactly happened? Did you say anything to her that she might not have liked?"

"Well," said Reyson, scratching the back of his head, "I did say she was pretty, and I'm going to stand by that."

Maric laughed.

"There's the problem then," he remarked, "she's got some sort of absurd psychology where she hates looking presentable. She doesn't like being all neat and clean. I still wonder why she got cleaned up when we came down here. Ah well, I guess I better go find her."

"I'll come with you," said Reyson, "I mean, I care about her; and her condition isn't the best right now."

"Alright," said Maric, heading for the hills in the direction they assumed Malak had gone; with Reyson behind him.

Malak had in fact found a way to enjoy her self, but had literally put herself in a sticky situation. She had gone up into the hills of some ancient ruins, where a Sun Warrior Tribe had once dwelt before they were chased out by The Order several hundreds of years ago (though the Sun Warriors themselves were not eradicated).

However, they were known for their booby traps, and Malak had triggered one that pinned her against the wall covered in a sticky black substance. Ironically, she was chuckling.

"You two certainly took long enough," she said. She could only move her head, hands, and feet, and was a mess.

"You alright," they both said to her simultaneously,

"Of course I am," said Malak, "I'm trapped spread-eagled against a wall and am covered in some sticky crap; what more could I ask for?"

They couldn't tell if this was sarcasm, for her tone seemed to be sincere.

"we're gonna have to get you down and get you cleaned up,' said Maric

"No way," said Malak, clearly loving her situation, "I'm enjoying this. This stuff is strong. Look, it's holding me up off the ground."

She was right. Her shoes were a few inches off of the ground. She was still fully dressed, but her exposed hands and face were also smattered with the sticky substance.

"So aye," said Malak, "I'm comfy right here. You two go get to know each other a little better. I'll still be here if you need me."

Granted, Malak could have used her waterbending prowess to remove it, but she didn't care. She was glad that they were all on the same side, and that there had been a reconciliation between Reyson And Maric.


	43. Chapter 43: Back Together Again

Chapter 43: Back Together Again

It took Reyson and Maric a while to un-stick Malak from the wall. Luckily she had been trapped near the outskirts of the ruins, so running into more traps was not likely. Nonetheless, even with Maric's waterbending force on Malak, it was slow to come off. Malak, who didn't care how dirty and sticky she was, naturally refused to let him continue, as all it did was get her wet.

"So," said Maric, "where to now? I mean maybe we should get Malak cleaned up and such..."

"I agree," said Reyson, but Malak stopped dead in er tracks and crossed her arms stubbornly.

"Mm-mm," she said flatly, shaking her head; "I'm not going to waste my time getting clean when I'm just gonna get dirty again."

"Malak," said Maric, "don't be ridiculous,"

"Then why won't you both stop trying to boss me around? I'm not a baby. I'm as old as you and only a couple years off of you"

She was referring to Maric for her first statement and Reyson for her second one, since Maric was only a few minutes older than she was and Reyson only a couple of years different.

"Malak," said Maric, "stop this. If I was able to understand my mistake of joining The Order, then you can swallow a little bit of that stubborn pride of yours, girl."

"I'M going back home," said Malak, "considering that I'm tired and still have internal pains in my gut;"

"Well you might want to wash your clothes then," said Maric chuckling, "as I heard that that stuff eventually will make them disintegrate."

"Are you kidding me," Malak exclaimed,

"Would I tell a lie about that to you, sis," Maric said, chuckling, and Malak didn't even answer, but she ran until she found a source of water, and began frantically trying to take it off of her. As she was frantically taking it off of her clothes, Reyson turned to Maric,

"Will that stuff really do that," he asked,

"Nah," Maric replied, "and I lie to her all the time. She shouldn't have fallen for that, but hey, it gets her clean, and whatever works, right?"

"Just when I thought I'd be able to understand girls," said Reyson, "one comes along that breaks all trends. She doesn't care about looking pretty or impressing anyone. I like her attitude."

"You do," Maric exclaimed, laughing, "I can't stand it. She's too rebellious. It sort of gets annoying after a while."

"I think I might have to agree," Said Reyson, "I mean, about her internal damage. I think it's much worse than she wants to admit. Look at how she's staggering."

"Guuhh," Maric groaned, "Malak, you can be such an idiot sometimes. We all can, which is why I was the way I was before..."

Malak eventually finished, but naturally was soaking wet.

"Guess what," said Maric, "I lied. I just wanted you to get that stuff off. I didn't like the smell of it."

"You WHAT," Malak exclaimed, "You lied to me?"

"Of course I did," Maric laughed, "we used to "lie" to each other all the time, remember? I never said I wasn't lying, I just asked you if I would tell a lie about getting clean to you. The answer is aye,"

Malak though wasn't finished.

"You, me, bending battle; right here, right now." She snapped,

"Alright," said Maric, and then he turned to Reyson, "stand back Reyson, these things *always* get ugly."

"Alright," said Reyson, standing back, though chuckling. He watched as the twins went at it. Maric was powerful and offensive, while Malak was swift and defensive. Reyson noticed that both twins were exceptionally good at what were called Dragmire Flips. They were named after their most famous user, Tenoko Dragmire (and as a result, they were also sometimes called Tenoko Flips).

A Dragmire Flip was an incredible series of handstands and spinning kick flips that brought up a unique waterbending style. Reyson noticed that they used their feet just as much as their hands when waterbending. Shards of ice and blasts of water were flying in every direction.

It seemed that Maric was doing most of the attacking, and Malak was blocking or dodging. She was exceptionally nimble, always light on her feet and never losing her balance. The second her feet hit the ground she had already started another flip, and so was corkscrewing and spiraling through the air at high speeds to avoid getting hit.

Maric usually intercepted her, but even when spiraling through the air, Malak would block his moves. Maric back-flipped into the air, spun around and began rapidly shooting projectiles of water at his sister, and her retaliation was a blast of water that she kicked out and retracted. It worked as a reflector, sending some of Maric's attacks back at him. Maric intercepted some of these a 3rd time and sent them back at her. Neither one was able to hit the other. They really were waterbending prodigies.

Reyson meanwhile, felt like he was being left out of the fun. He flared up his hands and jumped between them.

"I hope you like the heat," he warned, but the twins shut him up with blasts of water at him, knocking him aside—or so they thought. Reyson had quick reflexes and blasted himself into the air and over their attacks. Using the fire on his hands to keep himself in the air, he began spinning his legs around, shooting fireballs at the twins, who now seemed to have teamed up against Reyson, thinking they could take him down.

However, Reyson was not just a prodigy, but he was a son of the Fire Lord and Lady, and was thus a royal prodigy. He was able to use some of the skills that were harder to learn, such as lightning (though Alzar was the greatest firebender in the world, being on of the Legendary Four Benders.) and he was good at it.

Reyson seemed better than the both of them, for though he was not an expert at the Dragmire Flip, he had a roundhouse kick that could deal good damage when firebending was attached. It was this that knocked both Maric and Malak of guard. Malak blamed the bank, as she slipped and fell into the stream. Nonetheless, Reyson had them both at his mercy. He chuckled, looking at the fallen boy and his sopping wet sister.

"Game," he said chuckling, and helped Maric up. Malak didn't want him to help her, but she was stuck.

"Want me to leave you there," he asked, laughing at how funny she looked trying to pull herself out,

"Aye," Malak replied, but Reyson just laughed.

"Too bad," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her up, "you need to realize that just because someone wants to help you that it doesn't make you helpless. You're going to hurt yourself, Malak."

Malak didn't say anything, but followed them grudgingly home.

"So," said Reyson to Maric, "what made you change your mind about The Order of the Avatar Slayer?"

"The story of how our parents died," Maric replied, "I had been told a lie. We were neutral, so buying that The Avatar Guard were the ones who attacked us was believable. We didn't know who was who."

"You mean it was because of that story," Malak exclaimed, "you weren't there to see it?"

"I actually ran, Malak," Maric replied, "and that was why I survived unscathed while you were nearly killed."

"And so that was what caused all the rifts between us," she exclaimed, "that was it?"

"Aye," said Maric, "and you know us. We're opposites. When I would lie, you wouldn't. The problem is, is that YOU never tell people anything. You could be dying and we wouldn't know. Malak, you're way too stubborn for your own good. If an outsider notices it (no offense, Reyson) even, then you know it's too far."

Malak sighed. "I just hate being treated like I'm made of glass," she said, "because I'm not. I'm a waterbender, not a sculpture."

"I know, Malak," said Maric, "but telling you that you can't do everything by yourself is not unreasonable. Everyone needs help, even the Avatar."

"I thought you hated the avatar," said Malak,

"You can't be in The Order and not hate the avatar," said Maric, "but those twisted days are over. I don't hate the avatar anymore. Knowing what she did and my response to it..."

"Hey," said Reyson, "bad things happen to good people. Why do you think the Fire Lord, the Earth King and the Water Chief were killed?"

The Dragmire twins remained silent the rest of the way back.

"Well," said Reyson, "we're back. Sorry about all of that, Malak. And Maric, just make yourself at home here."

"Alright," Maric replied. He seemed friendlier to Reyson than Malak did, but then again, Malak was sort of acting hostile towards everyone lately. Using this logic, Reyson assumed that it was because she was hurting. "When people are hurt they are less tolerant" Zeruda had told him, "usually they just need time to rest or time to recover.

"So yeah," said Maric, stopping to talk to Reyson, "um, about me being part of The Order before this; surely Malak told you a little about it?"

"Aye," Reyson replied, "and naturally they're going to hunt you down like they do all traitors."

"I know," Maric replied, "but I don't care. I want to be on the right side; the side with my sister. Aye, I'm through with The Order."

"Well," said Reyson, "you chose the right side to 'desert' to. You'll find much more forgiveness on our side."

"Thanks," Maric replied, "oh, and sorry if my sister gave you any trouble"

"Not a problem," Reyson replied, "and I'm sure Zeruda won't mind either."

Maric smiled. He was glad to be with his sister—Back Together Again.


	44. Chapter 44: It Was Zakura's Weakness

Chapter 44: It Was Zakura's Weakness

Zakura woke up to find herself in a familiar setting that was not the same one she went to sleep in. she looked around and this time knew where she was.

"Alright, Lahka," she called out, "the joke's old."

"Not for me it isn't," said a voice, and Zakura laughed.

"But it's not about you," Zakura protested, "it's all about me. I'm the Ava—wait. Crap!"

Lahka laughed, wherever he was.

"But Zakura," said Lahka's voice, "I'm the avatar too."

"Hence the reason I shut up," Zakura replied, "but hey, just get your Water Tribe rear out here and enlighten me with your spiritual gibberish again. I'll pretend to act like I understand what you're saying."

"You play a tough game, Avatar Zakura" said Lahka, appearing next to Zakura; "you *almost* had me that time."

"That's more like it," said Zakura, "now enlighten me, old man."

"Alright," said Lahka, "sit down, short stuff and I shall bestow upon you my spiritual gifts of spirituality."

Both Lahka and Zakura were straining to keep from bursting out laughing. Lahka had had a good sense of humor like Zakura did; and there wasn't a supernatural rule or anything that said the avatar couldn't have fun every now and then. They were and are the spirit of the world in human form, which means that even with the abilities they were granted, they were human just like the rest of the world, having their own likes and dislikes, personal matters, and such.

"Whoa now," said Zakura, "calling me short has gone too far,"

"Calling me old has gone too far," Lahka retorted;

"You're 115, Lahka," said Zakura, "that's 92 years older than I am;"

"You're a head and a half shorter than I am," said Lahka, who was actually also taller than average, "you're the shortest avatar since Avatar Aang, and he died at a young age if you recall."

Zakura lowered her head.

"That was low," she said, now fake sniffling, "I'm... I'm hurt."

"Ha-ha," said Lahka, "then it looks like I am still dominant over you."

"Do with me what you will," said Zakura, "but I'll never talk; ever!"

They both cracked up from this.

"Speak to me, avatar," said Lahka, and then he said to himself "I am speaking. What do you want?"

"I want you to slap some sense into that woman avatar;"

"But she's the avatar too,"

"I didn't say slap some sense into that woman; I said slap some sense into that woman avatar. She's a woman, and she's an avatar."

Zakura punched Lahka's arm.

"And yet you still never fail to make me wonder about you, Lahka," she said, laughing, "where's Wen, your predecessor?"

"Now you're speaking my language," said Lahka, and when he said this, an airbender avatar appeared next to Lahka.

"Hello, Avatar Zakura," said Wen, who was obviously the airbender, "do you know yet why you are here?"

"So Lahka can talk to me about how short I am,"

"Well" said Lahka, smiling slightly, "if that were the case I would possibly throw a few words in about it too..."

"You know what, cue ball," said Zakura, laughing, "I don't have to put up with this. I'm the avatar too, you know."

"And a very talented one at that," said Wen, "you mastered in 7 years what took some of us up to 20 years to master. When we say that you literally have the best teachers in the world, we mean it."

"Aye," said Zakura, "I've come to recognize that finally;

"And *that*," said Lahka, "is one of the reasons you are here: to applaud your strengths and overcome your weaknesses."

"What is my weakness," Zakura asked, "I mean, I'm not trying to brag (though the opportunity pretty much yells at me to do so) but I haven't found anything that I have trouble against."

"Your weakness, avatar Zakura," said Lahka "is not a physical technique, attack, or anything of that sort. Your weakness is an emotion."

"What," Zakura exclaimed, "like arrogance; or maybe being so freaking awesome that the world can't take it?"

"Heh," said Lahka, "you wish;"

"Alright," said Zakura, "so what is my weakness then;"

"Your weakness," said Lahka "is love."

"Love," Zakura exclaimed, "what are you talking about,"

"it is in your reactions;" Said Lahka, "I apologize in advance for anything this might do to you, Zakura, but we are going to take a little trip back into the past, starting with Avatar Kai, who lived over 1275 years ago."

"I'm going to have to watch a 1275-year-long play," Zakura exclaimed,

"No," Wen replied, "this is different. We are going to look at the childhoods of your past lives, and this will reveal your weakness."

Suddenly in front of Zakura's eyes was a tiny water tribe girl in the arms of a woman who looked almost exactly like Avatar Kai. This was baby Kai Serenes II and her mother (for Avatar Kai's full name was Avatar Kai Serenes II)

"She had a mother who loved and cared for her every step of the way," said Lahka, "and now we shall move on to Avatar Kada."

Avatar Kada was shown to Zakura was a child of about 3 years; she was playfully throwing little rocks at some of her older siblings, who were laughing and playing with her.

"She may have been orphaned," said Lahka, "but she had loving siblings watching her as she grew older. And now we move to Avatar Himoto."

Avatar Himoto was shown as a girl of about 12. She was being crowned as princess of the Fire Nation, and would soon become its queen, despite her avatar status."

"She was their heir" said Lahka somberly, watching as Zakura gazed with a straight face, "they loved her eternally; now on to Avatar Imalek."

Imalek was shown as a baby being raised in the Eastern Air Temple by monks and sisters who were not her real family, but such were the ways of the air nomads.

"The air nomads all had pleasant childhoods, as they were and are friendly to everyone," Said Lahka, "and now we shall move on to Avatar Koroda" (the same man who General Koroda would be named after several hundred yeas later)

Young Avatar Koroda was seen as a young child just learning how to hunt; being taught by his father. He was smiling as he harpooned a fish of some sort and held it up proudly;

"He was a fine hunter, taught lovingly by his father," said Lahka, still looking at Zakura's unchanged face. She seemed to be closing her eyes for longer intervals. "Now we go to Avatar Fa Su"

Fa Su was raised to be a Dai Li agent before his parents learned he was the avatar. Nonetheless, hard times and the strength of The Order of the Avatar Slayer required him to fight undercover.

"He lived a happy life as a Dai Li avatar," said Lahka, "and reduced The Order during his later years. Here is a character that you might relate closer to, Zakura—Avatar Zuroc"

Zuroc was seen as a young girl talking to some people her age, winning them over as her friends.

"Zuroc was a very influential woman," said Lahka, "she won her friends by persuasion, and once they sided with her, they learned that underneath that fierce woman was a gentle and kind one. She also created the Zuroc Sensei of course. Now though, we move on to Avatar Reyson, another air nomad." (And after Avatar Reyson, that name became a lot more common, particularly in the Fire Nation)

Reyson's story was similar to Imalek's, and was just as happy.

"The Air Nomads are a loving people," said Lahka, "and so was Avatar Komae of the Water Tribes."

Avatar Komae was seen as a little child socializing with various people.

"Avatar Komae was beloved by all," Lahka commented, "and her successor, Avatar Harami, was similar, though The Order started to appear again during his days."

Avatar Harami was shown as a young, hard-working boy who was raised with a poor, but loving family. By this time, Zakura's eyes had watered slightly, but she was still sitting there, gazing forward.

"Once again," said Lahka, "he had a loving family. Avatar Lu Xing was similar as we'll see..."

And he was. He was from a military family, but even as a baby his father, a tough-looking general, was seen cradling him lovingly.

"Do you see the pattern, Zakura," Lahka said, "for now we come to Wen's childhood, which was good like all Air Nomads' usually are."

And it was. He was a happy boy growing up.

"And you know now, that it comes to me;" said Lahka, "and there I am with my family."

Lahka was in front of Zakura now, but as a baby being adored by family members and tribe members alike.

"And finally," he said sadly, noticing Zakura was gritting her teeth and shutting her eyes, "we come to the sad tale of Avatar Zakura Ishiko."

Zakura was seen as a lonely child. Her other three siblings seemed to taunt her because of her bending prowess, which she longed to use but couldn't in front of anyone. It then flipped a few years ahead to a 16-year-old Zakura using said earthbending to escape the palace and run away; never to be seen by her parents again up to this day...

This was the straw that broke the bison's back for Zakura. She broke down crying—sobbing to be exact. If anyone but her past lives had seen this, she would have knocked them squarely out, but this was different. This was Zakura's soft point—love—something she had never had until The Four Benders came into her life.

Love—It Was Zakura's Weakness.


	45. Chapter 45: The Spirit World Again

Chapter 45: The Spirit World Again

Avatar Lahka had succeeded in showing Zakura her weak point. When she was told about or shown other people who had had happy childhoods, it hit her in a sensitive point like this; Naturally, Zakura of all people would never, ever cry, except for from something like this.

"Zakura," said Wen, "there is something you must know: if a parent does not love their child, they will not care what they do, but may restrict them from their favorite pastimes."

Zakura was too busy sobbing. It sounded almost unnatural because of her low voice, but here was Zakura, a fully-grown woman; a mighty, fully realized avatar with enough physical strength to knock a person out with one hit, crying like a child.

"My parents never loved me," said Zakura through her tears, "they never cared what I did. I could leave for days and not tell them and they wouldn't care. There's something I want you two to see."

Zakura changed the scene to show her at 16. She had been to the spirit world the night before, but wasn't aware of what it was; she thought it was just a dream. Nonetheless, it got her thinking that she might be the avatar, and in a family so deeply rooted in The Order, this naturally worried her. Would they still want to kill the avatar if the avatar was their own child? Zakura decided to find out.

Naturally, when she got her parents' attention, they sounded relatively indifferent. She then asked them the question that changed her life.

"How far would you two go to kill the avatar," she asked them,

"We would go to that point even if it was one of our relatives,"

"Even if it he or she one of your own children," Zakura exclaimed, her face changing into one of genuine fear; something Avatar Zakura of all people almost never showed.

"Aye," Zao Lin, Zakura's mother, replied, "The avatar must be stopped at all costs. Abuse of that power would lead to single-handed world domination, and we cannot have that."

"Isn't that what Xin Shing is trying to do," Zakura asked,

"If it was, why would he set us up here?" said Zhang, Zakura's father, "he obviously seeks for equality."

Zakura opened her mouth to say something, but then paused, rethought it, and said something else instead.

"So you mean to say that you think one of your own children, would turn against even you two?" Zakura exclaimed, her eyes beginning to water, for at age 16, Zakura was not too much different from an average teen-aged girl; this was before her "rough-and-tough" attitude.

"From the way you're talking, Zakura, you're making it sound like you're the avatar. Is this the case?"

Zakura certainly wasn't going to say she was, even if she did know it, so she shook her head.

"I... I need to lie down." She stammered, and did everything to keep from frantically running out of their sight.

Once she got to her room she immediately bolted it, her eyes wide, her breaths short and tense, and her heart racing. She was horrified at the malice of her own parents. What if she really was the avatar?

"I ran away that very night," said Zakura somberly, "the more I thought about it, the more that spirit world trip seemed less like a dream."

"I understand your troubles, Zakura," said a gentle voice from behind her. Zakura turned around and saw that she was surrounded by all of the avatars whose childhoods she had just seen, from Avatar Kai to herself. Kai was the one speaking.

"However, Avatar Zakura," she said, "There is more to the story. With trials also come blessings.

Kai continued Zakura's story, showing a 16-year-old Zakura tearing away from the Earth Kingdom and running into a forest on the outskirts, where four familiar faces (and one not-so-familiar face) showed up; they looked about 7 years younger than Zakura remembered them (and the other face stuck in Zakura's mind for another reason)

"Alzar, Shinon, Aiku, Zinjamyn," she whispered, and was soon watching the story of them meeting her, and the revelation that she was in fact the avatar. The woman who told them this, a supernatural woman named Tera, had vanished after announcing this. However, the faces of The Four Benders had lit up after learning this.

"We've been looking for you, avatar," said the younger Zinjamyn, "we have long wish to pass our skills down to the next avatar;

"w-who are you," said a slightly frightened Zakura,

"We are The Avatar Guard," said the younger Shinon, "we are also known as The Four Benders."

"The Four Benders," Zakura exclaimed, "the greatest in the world?"

"That is what they say," Said the younger Aiku, "but do not worry. We do not wish to harm you. We wish to be here for you."

"For me," said Zakura hopefully, "you mean like friends?"

"Aye," said the younger Alzar, "friends—and bending teachers."

The young Zakura was left speechless.

"You are the most powerful avatar to walk the earth in thousands of years, Avatar Zakura," said Kai ion her usual serene voice, "you literally had the best teachers in the world. Remember to give them thanks the next time you can see them all at once. You owe it to them."

"What do you mean," asked Zakura, but then another avatar stepped up: a fierce-looking Fire Nation avatar—Avatar Zuroc.

"You treated them like crap," she said flatly, "they put up with you a lot more than I would have."

"Keep in mind though," said Lahka in Zakura's defense, "that Zakura never had a real friend in her life until they came around. She was never trying to honestly hurt them; it was just a game to her."

"Of course," said Zakura, "I never did anything to them just to torment them; and aye, I admit that I treated them pretty badly."

"That is why you just need to talk to them about it;" said Kai, "just get them together and then follow my advice."

"I know, I know," Zakura sighed, "I know I treated them badly. You don't need to remind me of it. Do you realize how much it hurt to know just how much they cared about me? They've told me before. They were determined to teach me, no matter how ignorant or cocky I was, and granted, I acknowledge that I'm cocky and often ignorant. I don't want to have to relive me tormenting them."

"If this is truly the case," said Avatar Lahka, "then my beckoning of you to the spirit world has been a success, for you have acknowledged and overcome one of your weaknesses.

"Hey," said Zakura, "it doesn't mean that I'm done bragging, because I'm awesome and have the right to brag."

"Good," said Lahka, chuckling, as the mood of Zakura's environment was brightening up, "you being humble would be like Zuroc being timid."

"I resent that," said Zuroc bluntly;

"And I don't care," Zakura laughed, "because he's right."

"I'd cut off your head if I was alive," Zuroc laughed, "If it stood but a little higher off the ground."

"Shut it, knife girl," Zakura, "please don't tell me we're going to get into one of THESE debates again, eh, Lahka?"

"The avatars have no leader," said Lahka, "my word weighs only as much as everyone else's."

"Well my word is law, because I'm Zakura and I said so. So suck it up all of you and deal with it!"

"Heh," said Lahka, hitting Zakura's arm, "you wish."

"Right-o then," said Zakura, "you have learned from one of your later incarnations—never listen to an avatar."

"That's about right," said Wen, chuckling, "for remember, the avatar is only human, just like the rest of the world."

"I know that," Zakura replied, "I mean, I pretty much was and am the demonstration of that."

"We knew that a while ago," said Lahka, hitting Zakura again,

"Wait," said Zakura, "I'm confuzzled. Why am I still here?"

"Fine then," said Lahka, "just leave us like that—feel free to give us the cold shoulder."

"If you insist," Zakura laughed, "I mean, being human, I too require sleep, and I think said action is beckoning to me."

"Farewell, Avatar Zakura," said Lahka, still chuckling, "just remember, it is but a weakness. Trials will help you to overcome them."

With those words, Zakura woke up. She thought of Avatar Lahka and smiled. She was also thinking about the Four Benders.

"Those benders are my family," she thought to herself, smiling, "Zhang and Zao Lin might be my blood family, but Alzar, Shinon, Aiku and Zinjamyn are my real family."

Zakura was pretty tired, so she ended up falling asleep rather quickly again, and remained that way until the morning. She didn't even bother thinking about what Cheng and Taki were doing now that they were married (ironically, they were asleep), and was out like a light.

Zakura may have seen some heartbreaking event sin her life, but she didn't mind anymore. She knew that all of the avatars before her had their own trials, and she figured that was might not matter to her might be a big deal to one of them, and this helped her shake her problems off.

She also knew that if her past lives acknowledged that she was the most powerful avatar to appear in thousands of years that with those trials also included blessings or talents. Zakura appreciated her teachers a lot more now, and also appreciated her past lives, who had given her inspiration and wisdom. She was glad that she got to go to The Spirit World Again.


	46. Chapter 46: We Await Their Move

Chapter 46: We Await Their Move

Incidentally, the ship that Royota, Zuki, Ryuka, and their group had was pretty much to them selves. As a result, they were able to use it as their lodgings when they landed at the Order's Northern Base. There was a small village, and they assumed that the base had to be around there somewhere. Sanaki felt everyone walking off to have a look around, including Meili. However, when her feet touched the ice, instead of shooting back onto the ship, she gasped.

"Mom," she shouted, beckoning Zuki, "there are rocks underneath this ice!"

And Meili was right. The village was a little ways off, but near the port where the ship had landed was a wide, open stretch of ice, and the village was tucked away in between some hills.

Zuki proved Meili's theory about the rocks by stamping the ground with her powerful legs and feet. The shoes Zuki was wearing may not have been fit for stomping and breaking ice in, but Zuki Meisha had so much raw strength that the ice shattered, leaving a patch of bare rock, which Meili ran onto gratefully.

"Sanaki," she said, "come here, there's a patch of rock over here. You can warm it up for us and then stand on it too."

Sanaki did so grateful that she wasn't left behind. She heated up the rock, but she was cold enough that she could only heat it enough so that they would not be uncomfortable. Zuki was just looking around at her surroundings, which, besides the ship (which was deserted) bore silence. She was amused by "pretty colors" as she called them, which she saw in the sky. Meili and Sanaki, both blind, just smiled back at her.

Granted, the others thought that these three had stayed on the ship, so they were not expecting them to follow them. This was a good thing, as they had stumbled across more than what met the eye.

"Oh my," Sanaki exclaimed suddenly, "there are people directly below us. Can you feel it, Meili?"

Meili paused, her ear twitching.

"Aye," she exclaimed, "I can hear it, and am going to do something about it. We're going to go down there."

"But don't you think they might be Order members," Sanaki asked,

"Aye," Meili replied, "but think of who we are: we've got the Two-Faced Lady, The Smash Master, and The Blind Dragon. We can take them."

"Okie," said Sanaki, "just making sure; so how do we get down there?"

"Mom," said Meili, "can Zuki bend us down into then ground right here?"

"Can Zuki come with you," she asked, still clueless as always,

"Aye," Meili replied, "of course. But Zuki has to be very quiet, alright?"

"Okie," Zuki replied, a huge smile spreading across her face, "Zuki be very quiet so no one can hear her."

Surprisingly, Zuki was very precise when instructed properly. The problem was that few people know how to properly give Zuki directions, so people, friends and foes alike, had trouble with her. However, Meili, knowing her mother better than any other person in the world, knew how to properly instruct her to do what she wanted her to do, and because of Zuki's natural obedience, it got done.

Granted, Meili never instructed her mother to do anything outside of reason, but there were times when Zuki was capable of things her daughter was not yet capable of (or in some cases, just incapable completely), and that was how and why Meili would instruct her.

Zuki lowered the three of them into what they assumed were some Order catacombs, closing their entrance behind them.

"What do you see, Zuki," Sanaki asked, since both she and Meili were blind, and therefore could not see anything;

"What," Zuki asked, "Zuki doesn't understand that?"

"Call her Zuki at all times," Meili whispered to Sanaki, "never use the word 'you' to her, because it will confuse her."

"Okie," Sanaki whispered back, and Sanaki got Zuki's attention again.

"What does Zuki see," Sanaki asked,

"Zuki sees lots of cages in the air," Zuki replied, "Zuki see people sleeping in lots of them."

"Does Zuki see any bad people coming towards us," Meili asked,

"Zuki doesn't see anyone moving," Zuki replied, "is everything Okie,"

"Aye," Meili replied, "it's going to be alright, mom. We just need to find out who these people are."

"Does Meili and Sanaki want Zuki to earthbend them up?" Zuki asked,

"Aye," Meili replied, "take us to the walkways."

There were walkways that surrounded every cage, likely so guards could bring people in and out and do other such prison-type things, for this was clearly a prison. It was cold and dry in here, which means that firebenders and waterbenders would have trouble here.

Zuki bended them up to the walkways and gently stepped off them. The pitter patter of the bare feet of Meili and Sanaki made no noise, and only Sanaki, who had very keen hearing, could hear the tiny sounds from Zuki's feet, which may have just been because she was heavier than both of the girls (which was logical, since the girls were 17 and Zuki was 38)

In the driest parts of this maze were waterbenders, and in the coldest places were the firebenders. Meili right now couldn't really do much, as the walkways were made of wood, and the cages suspended in the air. Sanaki could hear things better than Meili, but since it was cold, her "vision" was "clouded" as well.

"Mom," said Meili quietly, "can Zuki break that cage?"

"Zuki thinks so," Zuki replied, "Zuki will try."

She jumped from the walkway to the bars of the cage and clung to them. The cage was swinging only slightly, and the man inside looked up. Naturally, he was frightened upon seeing a woman in a dress with a huge scar covering half of her face clinging to the side of his cage, and backed up. Zuki jerked one of her hands back and broke the bar. It was somewhat loud, but other than that, she was able to break the bars.

"Remind me to tell Zuki to use the walkways next time," Meili muttered to Sanaki, for since Meili had not been specific enough, Zuki was doing the task her own way. The man turned out to be a firebender—a firebender who Sanaki seemed to recognize.

"Dad," Sanaki exclaimed, "is that you,"

"Sanaki," the man exclaimed, and though it was cold, they were able to find each other. Like Sanaki, her father was blind. In fact, with the exception of Sanaki's mother and their 3rd eldest child, the entire Foxx family was blind.

"Dad," Sanaki exclaimed, "how did you get here?"

"I was captured, Sanaki," Sanaki's father replied, "The rest of the kids should be around here somewhere."

"What about mom," Sanaki asked, "is she here too,"

"Aye," Sanaki's father replied, "I assume Karitsu is close by."

Karitsu was the name of Sanaki's mother, and her father was named Faruko. From what Faruko told them, all of their siblings were there.

"Just show Zuki where to go," said Meili, pointing to her mother, "and be sure to call her Zuki when you tell her to do something."

Faruko did so, and eventually they freed over half of the prisoners, who turned out to be Sanaki's family and the Serenes Waterbenders. Tenoko may have assumed that they were in the Southern Water Tribe, but she was drunk and was not thinking straight that day, and would later profess that she claimed they were in the Northern Water Tribe.

Right as they were freeing Sanaki's mother, who, like her siblings, was grateful to see that her youngest was still alive and well, Order Members appeared. However, although their group prepared to fight, they turned and ran.

"Surface battle," said Sanaki, "come, we need to get out of here and warn the others about this. They'll want to know."

They freed the remaining Serenes Waterbenders, and with a few powerful earthbending moves, Zuki had blasted them all to the surface. Night had fallen, and they were all surprised that they were able to get away with so much for so long.

Meili, and Sanaki took to the ship, and Sanaki's family went below deck to heat things up. War was brewing.

"So that's where they went," Royota exclaimed, as he and the others showed up on the scene, "and it looks like we found the Serenes Waterbenders. Those are clever children, mark my words."

The others had accomplished their goal of finding Katara's son Sokka, and he was amongst their ranks, standing beside his mother, who now only wondered where her daughter Katara Altina II was.

"Prepare for battle," Karitsu shouted to them, knowing from General Royota that they were on their side and not part of The Order. There was not much preparation to do other than get into position, so that's what they did. The blind members of the Foxx family, as well as Meili, were lining the side of the ship, aiming towards the fields. Zuki had given Meili a large supply of rocks, (and had taken some for her own) and so they were prepared.

The forces of The Order, however, were much stronger than they assumed it would be. However, it still was not very much, and the Serenes Waterbenders, this being their native environment, had an advantage. Additionally, they were incredibly talented waterbenders, so all in all, they were not very afraid of losing.

"This is it," said Meili, "the battle's about to start."

They waited as The Order got into array, for they were not going to make the first move.

"Keep your guards up," said Iresu, "for We Await Their Move."


	47. Chapter 47: They Were Female

Chapter 47: They Were Female

During the days that followed Cheng and Taki's wedding, they made their way back to Ba Sing Se and their headquarters. Tenoko had joined up with them, and reports from the Fire Nation said that Zeruda was coming with Reyson and a pair of Water Tribe twins.

"Them again," Zakura grumbled, "huh boy"

"Had a bad experience with them, I presume," said Zinjamyn,

"Aye," Zakura, "I'll talk about it later."

"Alright then," Zinjamyn shrugged, "you know, it's not like you have to tell us everything that goes on in your life; even the avatar has things that are her own business."

"I know," Zakura replied, "but it's not like this is a personal issue in my life; it's just that those twins gave me a hard time a while back. I'll explain it to you later if you remind me,

"If you insist," Zinjamyn shrugged;

The flying bison that Mulan had taken down to the Southern Water Tribe was able to accommodate the extra travelers once they reached the Earth Kingdom. Mulan, now outside of battle, had been reunited with her baby, but in times like this, there was just no room for an infant child at war. Mulan figured that it would be best to do what most other airbenders did and have her child sent to one of the Air Temples.

Although Mulan was from the Western Air Temple, she had her baby girl sent to the Eastern Air Temple. It broke her heart to have to be parted like this and so early on, but she had pledged her life to the avatar, and was therefore a fighter, having been taught to value the greater good, which was what Mulan did.

As they were traveling north, Royota's group was on their way to the Northern Water Tribe, so by the time they reached Ba Sing Se again, their war was about to commence. After all, Aiku and Zinjamyn's group had been traveling quickly, and Alzar and Shinon's group had been taking their time.

Up north though, another battle was taking place; this one an intense Water Tribe fight however, there were Order Members not just from the Water Tribes, but also from the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation.

There were more than expected, and they were serving their purpose well. Sokka and Katara I were both powerful waterbenders, (though not as powerful as Katara II) and they contributed well for The Avatar Guard's prowess. Meili and Zuki aided Royota in the earthbending department, and the Foxx family and the Serenes Waterbenders took care of fire and water.

The Order didn't have any airbenders either, as again, they were the "smart" ones, and stayed out of most of the wars (since they also had no formal military, as they are peace-loving people), remaining neutral. Although The Order didn't have airbenders, they had earthbenders, firebenders, waterbenders, and non-benders alike, and they were fierce.

"Son," said Katara to Sokka as they were in the fray, "when was the last time you saw your sister?"

"I don't recall exactly," he said, "taking his mother's back, where the two waterbenders kept themselves well-defended; "several months ago, to say the very least"

However, even they were interrupted when there was yelling from the back ranks of The Order's Army. Everyone, Order and Avatar Guard alike, turned to see what the commotion was (except for perhaps, Sanaki, Meili, Faruko, and the blind Foxx siblings). There were huge blasts of fire and lightning going up.

"Order a forward march," shouted one of the Order's commanders, "don't let whatever that thing is kill too many of our soldiers if it can be prevented. Forward, evasive action immediately"

The cause of the fire and lightning was soon revealed as The Warrior of the Black Hand. It seemed now though, the he was fighting for The Avatar Guard."

"Ah," said the commander, named Idoma, "The Dark Warrior, is it?"

"Aye," the Dark Warrior replied, "and you foolish warmongers continue this pointless war."

"Which side are you on, anyways," Idoma asked suspiciously,

"I am on whichever side I choose to be for the time being," the warrior replied, "for you cannot defeat me."

"Really now," said Idoma "is that why former Water Chief Tenoko Dragmire sent you to your watery grave? So now nearly 10 years later you come clanking back up to try and redeem yourself?"

"Tenoko has true skill," the Dark Warrior replied, "there are few here that I see match that definition."

During the ruckus though, Alzar and Shinon, who had been poisoned and thus bedridden, had gotten up to investigate the noise. They saw The Dark Warrior and gasped. He turned in their direction.

"Come here, you two," the warrior said, pointing at them, and naturally, they refused. However, the Dark Warrior had other methods of persuasion for people to do what he wanted;

He pointed his fingers at them, making them crackle with lightning.

"I said," he said, "for you two to come here."

They staggered off the ship, Alzar whimpering from having to step on the ice with her bare feet. Nonetheless, she had done it before, but when she was this ill, it wasn't the best thing for her.

The Dark Warrior moved Shinon's head so that it faced his. Shinon was a bit taller than him, but because of the way his helmet was, Shinon could not see the Dark Warrior's eyes.

"This one has true power," he said, "and this one does too," he now was doing the same thing with Alzar, but Alzar, being blind, couldn't see his eyes either. She might have been able to feel if it was a person they knew, but since it was cold, she was ill and her feet were freezing, it was no use. The Dark Warrior let Alzar back down and told them they could return to their ship, which they gratefully but weakly did.

He then turned to the armies of The Order.

"You will leave this place," he said, "or you will challenge me."

Surprisingly, most of the Order Members did. The ones that didn't were swept away in the wake of The Dark Warrior.

"This war is madness," The Dark Warrior said, "and at the same time, it serves no purpose. I shall make my leave."

He turned to Idoma, who, though he had stayed to fight The Dark Warrior (like any good commander, he wasn't about to retreat from one person, even if he knew he was outmatched), was kept alive.

"It is neither power nor control that defines a good fighter," he said, "but rather, a proportional combination between the two of them. I will accept the challenge of anyone who has the potential to defeat me."

"Even Katara Altina II?" said a voice, which belonged to Sokka, and The Dark Warrior stopped. After all, to know of a 15-year-old girl with as much power as Katara had, was common. Everyone knew about her.

"Aye," the Dark Warrior replied, "even her. I would like to one day see that young lady match my skills. And now I shall depart."

However, he was stopped by Idoma of all people.

"I have one thing I would like to ask you, sir warrior," he said, showing Fire Nation signs of respect for just this moment,

"I can answer should it be reasonable," The Dark Warrior replied;

"Are you a man or a woman," he asked, grinning;

"I admire that someone finally had the guts to ask me that," The Dark Warrior laughed, "and if it must concern you, I am female. With that said, I shall depart."

As the hosts gasped about the newfound revelation, The Dark Warrior made huge flames on her hands and feet and blasted into the night sky, disappearing into the stars.

"You get off the hook this time," said Idoma to Royota, raising his hands into the air, "for we are no longer in any condition to fight. Let us retreat and we shall do so without any further harm until the next battle. If not, we shall fight to the death."

Fortunately for The Order, The Avatar Guard had a sense of mercy, and Royota agreed to let Idoma's warriors retreat in peace, and they kept to their word. With their victory at the Northern Water Tribe secured, they were all able to return home.

The Serenes Waterbenders were safely taken back to their peaceful village, with the assurance (from Royota and his gang) that Lehran and Altina were alright. The Foxx Family was taken back to Ba Sing Se with The Avatar Guard, but sadly, Alzar and Shinon remained ill. While they were resting (for they were getting better; they were just not anywhere near their full strength) they were thinking about what had happened and what they had learned about The Warrior of the Black Hand.

Incidentally, their thoughts were not too much different from the thoughts of their fellow members. Many of them knew for a fact that The Dark Warrior 10 or so years ago had been a man, but this one claimed to be a woman. Who was it though, was the question running through their heads.

The thought of it being Katara Altina II had for the most part died, since The Dark Warrior had been face to face with her family, which seemed to be her only concern (as Sokka alerted them) for the time being. This limited their thoughts as to who it was, as many of them had thought that it was Katara. Perhaps the most intriguing thing about that last battle and The Warrior of the Black Hand's appearance though was not that The Warrior of the Black Hand was not Katara, but that whoever it was, that They Were Female.


	48. Chapter 48: A Word With You All

Chapter 48: A Word With You All

Katara was aware of the Dark Warrior's sudden appearance in the Northern Water Tribe, as the news spread like wildfire, just like most news about her did. Everyone knew The Warrior of the Black Hand (AKA the Dark Warrior), and Katara was no exception.

She was spending much of her time training, as she wanted to make sure she matched the abilities of this warrior. If she lost control like she sometimes did, it could lead to her downfall. She was alone as she usually was, and what she did exactly was unknown.

However, her firebending prowess had naturally increased since her first encounter with Fire Lady Ayumi, for her power was always increasing. One thing she hadn't shown people though was that her control had increased greatly as well. Granted, she was not as skilled as Alzar, and would likely never be at that level (for as she got better, Alzar would be improving as well), but she was able to control herself much better, and the chance of her "blowing herself up" was lower.

She was swift and powerful—deadly, some said. Katara Altina II had become famous for her trademark red lightning—something that only a few powerful firebenders like Orzon, Zeruda, (and Zeruda's late husband of course) Ayumi, Alzar, and The Dark Warrior knew. Zakura had the knowledge of it as well, but wasn't quite up to par with the others in that class.

Other than the red lightning, it was Katara's raw power and her often underestimated physical strength that made her a threat. Her physical strength was equivalent to that of a grown man, for, in order to keep her bending in check, she would have to spend much of her time doing it, and this gave her lots of exercise. Katara didn't mind this, and so she just saw it as an added bonus.

Katara's main weakness was that she would still wear out if she fought for too long. She was able to keep her explosions mostly in check, and could "blow herself up" at will, which gave her the guise of a lack of control, which she had actually gotten mostly over. She would get hot easily, and this would wear her down, and she would remain uncomfortably hot for a very long time.

Katara's ideal place to practice was the hills of the Water Tribes, as they were the coldest, and if she used her moves properly, she could go a while without getting hot or tired, and when she did get hot she was able to cool off easily enough. Nonetheless, she was a stubborn girl, and she was fixed on remaining on par with The Dark Warrior, and so that was what she spent much of her time doing.

In the meantime, everyone else was reunited: Iresu, Tenoko, Zeruda, Zakura, Alzar, Shinon, Aiku, Zinjamyn, Sokka, Katara I, Zakura, Ryuka, Maric, Malak, Reyson, Meili & her family, Sanaki and her family, Lehran, Altina, Koara, Royota, Taki, Cheng, Mulan, Kimiko, and Vigo—it was "one big happy family".

"No new reports from the Water Tribes," said Tenoko to Iresu, Zeruda, Royota, Koara, Zakura, Aiku, and Zinjamyn; (Shinon and Alzar were still ill, and thus were bedridden); "it seems we've moves them out of the south, and Royota's deeds up north kept them at bay."

"My deeds," Royota exclaimed, "it was The Warrior of the Black Hand who did the work up there."

"Really now," said Tenoko, "the man has always left me wondering..."

"It's not the same person," said Royota, "it is a woman."

"A woman," Tenoko exclaimed, "that's impossible. I defeated The Dark Warrior, and I knew that he was a man."

"then it is as I predicted," said Koara, "whoever has donned The Dark Warrior's armor is a new person, and this time I suppose it just happened to be female; nothing too big."

"So what side is she on," Iresu asked Royota,

"She is independent," Royota replied, "she's on her own side. However, she does not seem to be posing a threat for us at this moment."

"Really now," exclaimed Zeruda, "no threats; For the Fire Nation is free from them at the current time as well."

"And the Earth Kingdom as well," said Iresu,

"Is that so," said Tenoko, "it almost makes me want to make something up just to put some excitement into our lives."

"Excitement, huh," said Zakura, "I want to know as much as possible about Alzar and Shinon's condition. Are they going to be alright?"

"What's this," said Zinjamyn, chuckling, "Zakura showing concern for once? Who are you, and what did you do to our friend Zakura?"

Everyone laughed, and Zakura hit Zinjamyn on the arm.

"I meant it," said Zakura, "it's something personal. I want to meet with you four after they're better."

Zinjamyn and Aiku took a more serious tone. They knew Zakura had a strange sense of humor, but they could tell that whatever she was talking about meant a lot to her.

"I think with a bit of proper healing they could be revitalized within a few days," Said Aiku, "well, "at least enough to act like they're all better. We're a prideful bunch, Zakura; we're not going to go around broadcasting our ailments. We're like you—we try to hide them."

"Well," said Zakura, "I'm in for a party of some sort. If we don't have anything else going on, I'm pretty sure I could at least get my Water Chief friend over here to agree with me, eh, Tenoko?"

"What's the magic word," Tenoko asked, smiling,

"The drinks are on me," Zakura replied, grinning hugely,

"Say no more," said Tenoko, standing up, "meeting adjourned!"

The events following were a lot like a meet-and-greet social, and true to her word, Zakura had brought drinks. The presences of the Foxx family and the Meisha family were only welcomed gladly, and Zakura also decided that part of this would be in Cheng and Taki's honor.

"I knew they'd be getting married," Sanaki laughed, nudging Zakura playfully, (for it was her that Zakura recruited when she wanted a lie detector) "they're cute together."

"Aren't they," Zakura replied, ruffling Sanaki's hair;

Zakura eventually ran into Reyson and Maric. Maric looked at who he had bumped into and took a step back. He looked nervous.

"Oh, Avatar Zakura," he exclaimed, "m-my apologies."

"What are you doing here," Zakura asked curiously, "oh, and you can call me Zakura. I don't care."

"Look," said Maric, feeling guilty, "I'm sorry about what happened the last time we met, alright? I... I was just confused; there were parts of the story that I was not aware of."

"He's on our side, by the way, avatar," said Reyson, in his polite manner he used, "he wouldn't have come with us if we hadn't trusted him."

"I've changed my ways," Maric replied firmly, "I had a rather bad run-in with The Order when I was with them. It's not good."

"And you're telling the avatar about it," Zakura chuckled, "to me, nothing's good about them. I mean, they want to kill little ole' me."

"Heh" Maric chuckled, "you were right about the 'little' part."

Zakura knew from Maric's tone that he was joking, but to her, punching him for was mandatory.

"I don't need that," she snapped, laughing, "so, on a different note, where's your sister at these days? Is she alive?"

"She's hurt—badly," Maric replied, "and she's not letting anyone examine her. She says she's fine, but you can see it in the way she moves. There she is—look at her movements."

Maric pointed over at his twin sister, who was mingling with the crowd. Zakura, Maric and Reyson watched the way she moved, and noticed that she occasionally staggered. The people she was talking with either didn't notice or just assumed it was from a fight, as there were others with similar pains from war (Taki being a more prominent injured figure; of course, no one could tell, as she and Cheng were that couple in the corner who were making out without regard to anything else).

"Stupid girl," Zakura grumbled, "I knew she was worse off than she told me; kid, I'm glad you're back on track, and glad to see that even The Order couldn't break you two apart. Stay with us, you hear me?"

Maric nodded. "I'm never going back," he said proudly;

"That's what I like to hear, boy" Zakura replied, "for obvious reasons, am I right, Reyson?"

Reyson chuckled.

"Aye," he replied, "I mean, anything with the phrase 'avatar slayer' can't be good for you, eh?"

"Exactly, my boy," Zakura replied, "now you two go run along. I have some business I need to attend to."

Zakura went looking for Alzar and Shinon, and although she was able to name the people in the crowds, she found that Zinjamyn, Aiku, Alzar, Shinon, and Koara were missing from that list. She wound up finding them in the back room. They were all standing; Shinon looked slightly tired but at least was on his feet. Alzar was slouched, and behind her was Koara, who was massaging her shoulders.

"Ah, there you are," said Koara, smiling, "these kids will be alright; the poison is gone, but they'll be tired a few days. I just need to relax Alzar a bit more and my work will be through."

"So," said Zakura, "my request spread around?"

"Of course," said Aiku, chuckling slightly, "Zinj and I heard it at the meeting a few hours ago."

"Alright then," said Zakura, smiling, "once Koara's done doing whatever she's doing with Alzar I'll tell you what this is all about. I just want A Word with You All."


	49. Chapter 49: You All Are My Real Family

Chapter 49: You All Are My Real Family

Koara finished up with Alzar a few minutes later, and then she calmly stepped out of the room, closing the door. She didn't mind being "kicked out"; for she knew that Zakura had something important to say.

The Four Benders were sitting down, and they looked at Zakura (Alzar was facing in her direction at least. her eyes, which no longer served her any sensory purpose, were wandering like they usually did);

"Well," said Aiku calmly, "you said you wanted to talk to us, and here we are. Whatever you want to say, you feel free to say it."

"Though if you're gonna dislocate our jaws, perhaps you should be merciful to Alzar and Shinon for a day or two," Zinjamyn added, chuckling slightly, and the others, even Alzar did too;

"Nah," said Zakura, "it's not that. It's just something I learned in the spirit world a few nights ago. I learned about my family, and who they were."

"You didn't know your family," Shinon exclaimed,

"No," Zakura replied, "I learned something different. I learned who my blood family was, and who my real family was."

"Ah," said Zinjamyn, "and what did you discover?"

"I discovered," said Zakura sincerely, "that my real family has 4 other members, and that they're standing in front of me. You four were the first real family I ever had. No matter how badly I treated you, you were always like parents trying to teach a rebellious child."

"You weren't necessarily rebellious," said Alzar, you were just really cocky. You learned too fast for our liking. We were prideful too, you see, and to see you learn and mater our moves in half the time it took us to learn them sort of made us jealous, but at the same time it made us proud. It meant that not only were you an excellent learner, but that we were also good teachers. A good learner and a bad teacher will not result in much."

"I know," said Zakura, "and again, I feel really bad for the way I treated you. I gave you all no respect. I'm sorry."

"Our wisdom was not meant to be taken in with absolute surety," said Aiku, "But rather, we wanted someone there to question it to find things wrong with it so we could correct those wrongs."

"When we were young mater benders, we were determined that we were going to hunt down the avatar so we could teach him." Said Zinjamyn, "aye, we thought it would be another male avatar, seeing as the last 4 were. We're sorry about that."

Zakura chuckled, "people say I'm manly enough anyways," she said, flexing her arm, "it's not a big deal."

"But aye," said Shinon, "we had devoted our lives to teaching the next avatar, and even when you came along and seemed to be ignoring us when we tried teaching you, we stuck to it. We were not about to let our lifelong goal slip away just because the woman we were teaching was a bit rebellious. No, we stuck to it because we wanted to teach you."

"And I wanted to learn," said Zakura, "and now that I look back, I don't really have an excuse for why I acted the way I did."

"Well," it was several years ago," said Alzar, "and even "stubborn Lady Alzar" has gotten over it."

"I'm sorry, Alzar," said Zakura apologetically, "you easily got the worst of it. And then I found out you were blind and..."

Zakura didn't finis. She shut her eyes, feeling really guilty, as this was still a sensitive subject for Alzar as well.

Alzar shut her eyes as well.

"It was deep, Zakura," she said quietly, "to be reminded of that horrid mistake again by someone laughing and shoving it in my face... I... I can forgive you for it, but I can't really forget it... it hurt, Zakura. It cut me to the bone."

Zakura stopped, and looked genuinely serious.

"How so," she asked curiously,

"It made her cry," said Shinon, "and you know Alzar; she hates crying in public. Just to hear the way she told me that story again (though the four of us were there); it brought me to tears as well. It's powerful, Zakura. You should ask her to tell it to you one day."

"And I will if you ask," Alzar added, "it's just... it's me weakness."

"Everyone's got a weakness, Alzar," said Zakura, "the fact that you're even able to use your heat sense in the Water Tribes means that that's not even your weakness anymore. I believe that the five of us here are limited to emotional weaknesses. Physical ones seem a bit beyond the worlds' greatest benders."

"That's about true," said Zinjamyn, "except there is one thing we've learned: we cannot be apart for very long. For some reason, it just doesn't sit very well with us. If one of us died, the other three would be devastated."

"Wow," said Zakura, "that's... really?"

"Aye," Aiku replied, "and if you died..."

"Then all our work would have been in vain," said Alzar, "we'd feel like we lost our purpose for living in this world."

"We've dedicated our lives to you, Zakura," said Zinjamyn, "that is why despite the 6-9-year age difference that naturally still applies today, we were submitting to you. We were your teachers, but you were our leader. We loved you, Zakura. Aye, your arrogance sometimes bothered us, but we honestly loved and cared for you. Why else do you think we were so tolerant of all of that?"

"But why," said Zakura, "what did I ever do to deserve you all putting up with me? Was it just that you were set to teach me, or...?"

"Because" said Shinon, "we realized that underneath all the taunting and arrogance, there was a young woman who was missing family love from her life. We could see it in the way you behaved. We could tell from subtle references we made that it bothered you, and figured it was your weak point. But Alzar sensed it was strong—strong enough to make you lose the will to do anything."

"How did you know," Zakura asked,

"It just took time and being around you extensively," Alzar replied, "we saw it, but we had respect for you. We didn't want our swift learner to drop because of that."

"So why so much respect for me, when I gave you all next to none;" Zakura asked, "I mean, didn't you all just want to attack me?"

"There were times," said Shinon, "but we resisted. We knew what you had been through and knew that if we went against you that you'd break. You needed a family and we figured we'd take it upon ourselves to fulfill that role."

"we enjoyed teaching you," said Aiku, "when actual bending was involved you were such a nice person to be around, we enjoyed how much you loved it—we enjoyed you giving us sleepless nights because you wanted to learn more all the time."

"For a woman who doesn't seem to care about being the avatar, you seemed to enjoy the abilities you were granted with," said Alzar, "you were practicing all the time. It made us proud."

"There was not really a reason for us not to love you after seeing how eager you were to pick up a new move," said Zinjamyn, "you were always ready; didn't give us a time of rest. We'd create a move, and you'd be all over us trying to find out what it was and how you could learn it. It made us proud, Avatar Zakura."

"So basically," said Aiku, "at first we were nice to you so you'd stay with us, but then we realized that you had sort of molded yourself into our seemingly impenetrable 'clique'. We cared about you, we wanted to always be there for you, just like a family was and is."

"And one day we'll be able to look back and say "you know the avatar? She was our greatest student ever. She is an amazing learner, and is probably the greatest avatar to ever live."

"How do you think I got that way," said Zakura, "for me to be the best, I had to have had the best teachers ever. The other avatars I've spoken to have called you four by that title."

"Really now," said Zinjamyn chuckling, "I guess that's just something we can add to our bragging rights list."

"Ha-ha," said Zakura, laughing, "I'M the arrogant one around here, so back off; know your place."

"We do," said Shinon, as all 5 of them were chuckling, "we are The Four Benders; teachers of Princess Zakura Ishiko—Earth Kingdom Avatar."

"Heh," Zakura replied, chuckling, "very good; very good. But aye, the point of this was to say that I'm sorry for how badly I've treated you all in the past. I owe you all so much; you gave me the two things in life I wanted: bending skills and a family. I can die happy now."

"Just don't die too soon," said Alzar, laughing, "otherwise my jaw might feel the need to get dislocated, and who will be there to do it?"

"I can rectify that right now if you want," said Zakura, laughing and holding up a fist.

"Eh, maybe later," said Alzar, "at least let me recover first."

"Alright," said Zakura, and they all laughed, "just this once."

"We're glad to see you've matured," said Zinjamyn, "it makes you all that much more a part of the family."

"Aye," said Zakura, "I'm glad you all are always here for me. I'm glad that I know who my family is—You All Are My Real Family"


	50. Chapter 50: The Other Person's Origins

Chapter 50: The Other Person's Origins

Cheng and Taki had migrated back to one of the back rooms. Ironically, they were still fully dressed, Cheng in his suit and Taki in her wedding dress. They were sitting on the bed that they likely planned to sleep in, and were just talking.

"Do you think we ran through all of that too fast," Cheng asked, "I mean, we don't know very much about each other even..."

"Maybe we did," Taki replied, "but I wouldn't take it back for the world. Perhaps we should use this time between wars to tell each other a little about ourselves? I mean, I assume that whatever circumstances you were raised under made you an honorable man. I mean, there were times when I almost played easy to get just to see what you'd do, and you impressed me each time. That meant a lot to me."

"I'm glad," Cheng replied, "because I couldn't bear to know that I had let down the woman of my dreams."

He kissed Taki on the lips for several seconds and then pulled back. Their make-out session would be later.

Taki smiled. "So," she said, "what is your background?"

"My background is just the background of an average man," Cheng replied, but Taki put her soft, smooth hand over his lips."

"Don't say it like that, Cheng-Cheng," she said, "you're no ordinary man, let alone any ordinary soldier. You're much different."

Cheng laughed and then clasped Taki's hand between his. Taki's hands weren't tiny, (being the powerful earthbender she was) but Cheng's were still larger, as men are naturally usually larger than women.

"I was an only child," Cheng replied, "my parents were part of the Order at one time, and then they fell away after realizing how atrocious their deeds had been. They used to be worse than they are now. Now they have more subtle ways of doing their deeds.

Anyways, my parents joined The Avatar Guard and then supposedly fell away from them too. Truth told though, they still support The Avatar Guard if you ask them what side they're on. Right now though, the Order thinks they're neutral.

I wanted to join the military, and since my parents seemed neutral, they said I should join The Order. It was part of an agreement. If they sent their son into their forces, they would be reconciled."

"That sounds selfish," said Taki bluntly,

"It does sort of seem selfish," said Cheng, "but if it was a choice between me serving The Order or my parents getting killed, I'd choose the former. I loved my parents. I got a letter form them saying that Fire Lady Zeruda found them on her way here and she gave them passage to the Secret Service Southern Base in the Southern Water Tribe. They're safe and happy, especially knowing that I am as well."

"Ah," said Taki, "that's good to know that your parents still are alive and caring for you."

"And what about you, sweetie," Cheng asked, "are your parents alive?"

"Aye" said Taki, "I think so. I haven't seen them since I left home at 10 to go to Kyoshi Island. It should be obvious what I did there."

Cheng chuckled, "my wife's got real skill," he said, "and I love her."

"You don't think I would have married a man who I didn't think had skill either, did you? My Cheng-Cheng has skill too. It makes me happy. He can protect me when I get hurt."

Cheng smiled and embraced her again.

"So what happened with your parents?" Cheng asked,

"Well," said Taki, "they sent me there to train, 'coz they thought I should have lots of talents. They knew I was a good earthbender, but also knew I liked playing with knives, and that I liked the Kyoshi Warriors. Unfortunately, I heard part of that idea that I wasn't supposed to hear. Luckily they never found out I knew."

"Oh," Cheng exclaimed, "what was that?"

"They wanted me to fight for The Order of the Avatar Slayer." Taki replied, "and I may not have known what that was, but when I heard "avatar" and "slayer" together, I knew it couldn't be good, despite my bloodlust. I could never fight the avatar, especially now that I know who she is and everything."

"Even after she's walked in on us before and made fun of us;" Cheng asked, "I mean, I kind of got over it, but did you? You got it worse from than I did."

"Aye," Taki replied, "it's just her nature. And seeing as I show off my legs enough anyways (to you only now unless Zakura intervenes) that it's not a big deal."

"Alright," said Cheng, "as long as you're making yourself happy and not just trying to please me. So... what happened with your parents?"

"Well," said Taki, "after my 7 years of special training at Kyoshi Island, I was 17 and old enough to be off on my own, so I did. I had some decent money on me, so I was usually dressing up rather fancy. I remind myself of that Zuki woman... I looked fancy, but could own anyone with earthbending. People called me "that earthbender woman who's always wearing a dress".

And it was right too. When I wasn't in my Kyoshi uniform I was decked out all fancy. That aside though, I didn't want to be part of The Order, and so I decided to take up another hobby, this one involving earthbending, and thus, my Earth Rumble career was born."

"So what do your parents think of you now?" Cheng asked,

"They probably hate me," Taki replied, "and since you're not part of The Order (didn't you betray them too?) They'd probably hate you too."

"Well," said Cheng, "would you ever want to see them again?"

"Not really," Taki replied, "I could care less. Maybe I'd go just to shove my deeds in their faces, but other than that, I could care less. I'd much rather be with my Cheng-Cheng and make my own family with him."

Cheng laughed, and picked up Taki and cradled her like a baby, "you'll always be my little Taki," he said, smiling at her, his nose an inch from hers; "for time and all eternity."

Taki smiled, "I'm glad to know that your parents are alright though," she said, "what you think they'd think of me?"

"Well," said Cheng, "my father always made jokes about me and women; he'd probably say that I'd be lifting up your dress or something."

Taki blushed slightly, knowing some of the things they did would probably get Cheng's father even more suspicious. Of course, they were married, so it wasn't like doing certain things together was all that inappropriate (at least as long as it was private)

"On that note," said Taki, "we're married! I'm happy!"

She put her arms around Cheng again and Cheng stood up, gazing into the eyes of his wife, who was curled up in his arms, smiling up at him.

"And we need to take a honeymoon," said Cheng, and Taki's eyes lit up; "I'll take my little Taki-girl somewhere where it will just be me and her—no one else around, and all the time in the world at our disposal."

"Oh Cheng-Cheng you're such a sweetheart," she said lovingly, and kissed him on the cheek. Cheng moved his head a bit so that their lips met.

"I'd only be this much of a sweetheart to the woman who would treat me the same way, Taki," he said, "only a woman like you is worthy of "sweetheart-Cheng-Cheng"

Taki giggled. "You're asking for it now, Cheng-Cheng," she said, still giggling her cheeks turning a cute shade of pink

"Oh am I," Cheng exclaimed, "how fast can you react?"

Miraculously, Cheng had quick reflexes, for Taki was not able to react in time to what Cheng did next. The next thing Taki knew, she was on the bed underneath Cheng, getting showered with kisses from him and giggling intensely. Naturally, this caused a certain woman who also happened to be an avatar to walk by and peek in. She saw the scene (and luckily for them they were fully clothed) and laughed. She even gave a wolf-whistle. Cheng and Taki both looked towards her.

"Aye," said Taki, "we're married. If you want to go broadcast that to the rest of the world, feel free. We'd enjoy that favor as well."

Zakura laughed, "Just don't be too loud," she warned, "there are children in here, and I'm not sure that they'd like to know what those two people in that one room are doing."

She was clearly referring to them, and Cheng and Taki both laughed.

"You're crazy; you know that," Cheng laughed, "I still can't believe you pulled so many strings in our relationship."

"Is that a bad thing," Zakura asked,

"Well," said Taki, "It's a bit embarrassing when I think about it, but no, all in all I thank you for it."

"As do I," said Cheng, "it was amazing how well we work together."

"I know," said Zakura, "which is why I did it. You don't think I go telling everyone that I had a lot to do with your relationship, did you?"

"Well," they both stammered, "we actually thought you did,"

"Well," said Zakura, "the temptation was there, mark my words, but I resisted. You two are too cute together for me to let that secret out. So don't' worry. Your secret is safe with me."

"Honestly," said Taki sincerely,

"As surely as I am Princess Zakura Ishiko—Earth Kingdom Avatar;" Zakura replied, "Now go have fun."

She closed the door, and Cheng and Taki both smiled at each other. They both had thoughts on their mind, but mostly each other. They also liked the new insight that they knew The Other Person's Origins.


	51. Chapter 51: Michiko, Fukuda, and Katara

Chapter 51: Michiko, Fukuda, and Katara

One thing Katara never knew about practicing when she was in The Northern Water Tribe was that she was being watched. She never thought that anyone would find her out where she was, but there was one person who did; a mysterious man by the name of Fukuda.

He was the Water Chief set up by Xin Shing, and his wife's name was Michiko. They supported The Order, but almost seemed neutral. However, they had heard Ayumi's bad stories about Katara, and so Fukuda called upon his wife to execute a deadly technique known chiefly by the female world leaders. Similarly, just like it was easier for a woman to learn this technique, they were also more vulnerable to it than men.

Katara was blasting fire and lightning at the sky and in every direction, trying to gain control over it, and for a girl her age, she was doing quite well. She was muttering something to herself, and Fukuda had returned to the base and warned Michiko of it.

"She seems obsessed with The Dark Warrior," he told her, "the one some know as The Warrior of the Black Hand."

"But didn't he die," Michiko asked, "for I recall former Chief Tenoko being the one to send him to his watery grave,"

"Aye," Fukuda replied, "but the armor was recovered by the Fire Nation and taken to the palace. Lady Ayumi and Lord Orzon also say that he has returned. This time though, it is a woman impersonating him."

"A woman," Michiko exclaimed, "but does anyone know of the identity of this woman, or do we have no leads?"

"We have nothing," Fukuda replied, "no one does. It had been theorized that it was Katara Altina II, but after the glorious loss we faced at The Dark Warrior's hand at the Northern Base, that was all but disproved."

"And why is that," Michiko asked,

"Because her family was there," Fukuda replied, "and that's the only thing she's professed to ever care about. The problem with that girl is that she doesn't realize just how many people know her."

"But you said she seemed obsessed with The Dark Warrior," said Michiko, "you said she was muttering something about 'keeping up' with her."

"She was," Fukuda replied, "but what is your point?"

"My point is," said Michiko, grinning, "is that might be a lead as to who this woman is. In fact, I think I know from the facts I've deducted, and here is who I think it is, and why..."

Michiko whispered the name of the woman to Fukuda and then silently explained her reasoning.

"In that case," said Fukuda, "Katara will have to be taken here and interrogated about the subject. If she knows that much..."

"Aye," Michiko replied, "and then we can reveal the identity of the Warrior of the Black Hand. It's about time we find out who she is."

"Indeed," said Fukuda, "either way, she's a threat."

"You don't suppose that it could have involved the Nagishima family any further, do you," Michiko asked, "for it was Izuka Nagishima who was The Dark Warrior previous to this time."

Izuka Nagishima was one a distant relative of Kimiko's, not necessarily known for his good works. He had, however, been confirmed to be killed by Chief Tenoko, so finding him was impossible."

"no," said Fukuda, "the last Nagishima that might pose a threat to us is one by the name of Kimiko; but the last I heard from her she was a timid little girl too scared to even speak. There is no possible way that she of all people could be connected to The Dark Warrior."

"Reports from the Fire Nation said that Kimiko disappeared though," said Michiko, "and The Order hasn't seen her proper since that time—or rather no one has lived to tell the tale perhaps?"

"So are you saying that this is the young lady you claim to be The Dark Warrior now," Fukuda asked,

"Not at all," Michiko replied, "I'd put her at #2 though. The Nagishima family was powerful members of The Avatar Guard. I don't think their little daughter Kimiko was any different."

"Alright then," said Fukuda, "and now perhaps I can tell you where Katara Altina II is so we can retrieve her?"

"Aye," Michiko replied, "but you must remember that she is dangerous. It's not going to be easy to waltz up to her and make her sleep."

However, that was soon re-thought, as a huge explosion was heard from the northwest towards the icy fields where Katara blasted off most of her energy so she wouldn't get too hot;

"I likely stand corrected," said Michiko, "and now I shall go."

Michiko found a barely conscious Katara lying in the snow and ice. She was warm, despite her surroundings being cold, and despite her being dressed in her usual Fire Nation attire,

"Come, child," said Michiko sweetly, lifting her up to her feet, "let's take you back where it's warm and safe."

"Who are you," said Katara groggily, as she was still mostly out of it,

"I am Michiko, Chief of the Water Tribes," Michiko replied, "and you, my lady, are about to be mine."

With this, Michiko slipped behind Katara and put one hand over her mouth and her other arm around Katara's neck, lifting her a few inches off the ground. Katara thrashed for a moment, but Michiko was unmoved and unafraid of Katara, for Katara was helpless at this point.

"Relax, girl," she said in an enigmatic tone, "just sleep..."

She struck a pressure point on Katara's neck with her fingers, and Katara went unconscious. Michiko hoisted Katara over her shoulder and returned to the Northern Base quickly enough where she met up with Fukuda. She set the unconscious Katara down on a table used for Chi Healing, and left her there for the time being.

"So this is the girl," said Fukuda, "the legendary Katara Altina II."

"So what did you want with her," Michiko asked, "does she have something of significance; Perhaps knowledge?"

"She has power," said Fukuda, "which is why she is famous; and—oh? What is this?"

Something black slipped out of one of Katara's pockets. It was a coin with a Black Hand emblem. It had no face value, but The Dark Warrior was notorious for having them, and gave them only to his (or in this case, her) greatest challengers.

"So she HAS met The Dark Warrior," Fukuda remarked,

"Or perhaps she is the one who now carries his coins," said Michiko, "perhaps she has more."

"The Dark Warrior always carried them with his armor," said Fukuda, "so there's no way of telling if this girl is or isn't our target."

"So why exactly did you seek her," Michiko asked, "do you plan to question her; or was there another purpose?

"This was what I was seeking," said Fukuda, twirling the coin between his fingers, "this will be significant in the long run"

"But what for," Michiko asked, "The Order,"

"Perhaps the end of this war," Fukuda replied, "after all, The Dark Warrior wants it over, and this girl does too if the reports from Katara's combat tactics hold true."

"But who would win," said Michiko, "what side are we even on?"

"We're technically on The Order's side," Fukuda replied, "but then again, 'falling away' like Katara here did could come in handy."

Katara, however, had enough chi energy in her that she did not remain unconscious for long. She sat up, as Fukuda and Michiko had not bothered to tie her down.

"Where am I," she asked bluntly,

"you are in the Northern Base of The Order of the Avatar Slayer," Michiko replied, "I am Water Chief Michiko and this is my husband Water Chief Fukuda."

"Why are you keeping me here?" she asked,

"We're not," Fukuda replied mysteriously, "after all, look at your arms and legs. There are no bonds on them. You're free to walk out that door whenever you feel like leaving."

"Alright then," Katara replied, standing up, "farewell."

"Farewell," Michiko replied enigmatically, as Katara left.

"Wow that was weird," Katara thought to her self, "so that's the Water Chief and his wife that Xin Shing set up? They're probably creepier than Ayumi is evil; and that says something."

She did not end up noticing the absence of her Black Hand coin, and so she made her way back to the Northern Water Tribe Capital.

Here she bided her time thinking about various things and scheming in others. The operation she was about to go down with was going to be risky, and she acknowledged that.

"The Dark Warrior," she muttered, "she better not let me down."

Incidentally, Fukuda and Michiko knew a lot more about The Warrior of the Black Hand than would seem normal. However, it was impossible that it was one of them, as they were waterbenders, and The Warrior of the Black Hand was seen and known to be a firebender, and, like Katara, was able to wield red lightning.

Katara did not spend as long in the Northern Water Tribe as she had planned, for she decided to head south, which meant a stop in Ba Sing Se first. She was hoping to run into The Avatar Guard at some point, as there were some things she wanted to get from them.

Katara was famous not only because of her power, but also because of enigmatic demeanor and subtle appearance. She was actually a lot like Fukuda and Michiko—often mistrusted and she seemed to be on her own side, or rather, serving a higher cause.

These three had much mystery enshrouding them, and that meant that getting anything out of them was difficult. It took true effort to get a secret out of Michiko, Fukuda, and Katara.


	52. Chapter 52: Everyone Has a Dark Side

Chapter 52: Everyone Has a Dark Side

Since there had never really been a time for the members of The Avatar Guard to properly tell a little about themselves to each other, they figured that this "Great Story Time" might as well be now when they had no tasks at hand [save finding Katara Altina II, which no one in the world had been able to properly do because of how evasive the young girl was], and so they did.

The person whose story the people wanted to hear the most was the story of what had happened to Kimiko. Naturally, she was not very comfortable with people asking her so many questions; some of which also involved her stunt with the flaming dragon at the Southern Water Tribe. Lehran though, came to her rescue.

"Don't pester her if she doesn't want to talk," he said, "she's not as outgoing as some of us, and neither am I. I would like it if you gave her the respect that you give me."

This actually plucked up Kimiko's courage.

"If you want to hear the story," she said in a quiet and enigmatic tone, "then sit down and listen closely."

Incidentally, everyone did, including The Four Benders, The Secret Service, and even Cheng and Taki. Cheng did not even know what exactly Kimiko went through while she was in prison, as it had been a few weeks between the time her family was killed and the time Cheng saved her.

"Those who knew me before the incident knew me as a powerful young lady who was not afraid to speak her mind," she said, "and up until a few days shy of my 18th birthday, I lived up to that.

That was when it happened. They took my family and slew them before my own eyes. It was a moment that could have devastated even the strongest person. I know someone in this room who can relate."

She glanced over at Zakura, who looked shocked.

"What do you know about me," she asked suspiciously,

"Many things," said Kimiko, still retaining her mysterious tone, "but don't worry, Zakura; do you really think I would be turning against you, or would try to make you feel bad in any way?"

"If anything," said Zakura, "I'd be more worried about me doing it to you."

"Good, good," said Kimiko, "then nothing is out of the ordinary."

"Then carry on," said Zakura bluntly,

"Alright then," Kimiko replied, "well, after knowing that it was my loud mouth that provoked them to kill my parents and older brother, I wasn't about to talk to anyone there again. I wasn't afraid of them, but rather, was afraid to talk to them. I never did, and so they thought they had succeeded in breaking me. However, there is still the spirit of Nagishima fury that course through my body. The day I meet Feng again is the day that one of us will be left begging and screaming for mercy."

"So what exactly happened," Cheng asked, having known Kimiko longer than the rest of them, yet he was still curious;

"Anytime I was alone I would do things," Kimiko replied, "none of the prison guard ever knew that I was preparing for the day where Feng and I would face each other again on the field of battle..."

"So how's our little prisoner," Feng asked leering at the seemingly sobbing Kimiko in her cell. Naturally, Kimiko didn't answer. She turned her head the opposite way.

"Now, now, don't be sad," he said, "Surely you will be able to become stronger than us one day and break out."

This caused the other guards in the area to laugh as well. However, Kimiko said nothing yet again.

"Why don't you speak," he said, sounding slightly impatient, "or have you become so scared of existing that you think we'll kill you if you talk?"

Kimiko's face was hidden in the shadows, and she still wasn't facing them. Her burn that had formed on her left eye was still forming into a scar, and so it still hurt. As a result, Kimiko gently put one of her also burned hands against it.

"Speak," snapped Feng impatiently, "or suffer!"

The next thing Kimiko knew her palms and soles were burned. It was nothing permanent, but it was something they would do to her regularly, and it was the reason they were so red when Cheng rescued her. However, after they threw her head first back into her cell and disappeared for the evening, Kimiko was not crying. She was laughing.

"the tougher the scrape, the brighter I shine," she muttered to herself, glancing up at her tiny window, where moonlight was pouring in; she had learned that phrase from her parents, who had learned it from an aged waterbender named Koara Lombardi (and this was the selfsame Koara who was a 93-year-old woman that was part of their group).

Kimiko was much, much tougher than she looked. She was skinny because she wasn't very well-fed in the prison, but she was strong. She'd often put herself to sleep hanging from the bars on top of her cell. She'd sometimes hang from her feet. Using this and her own body weight, she would lift, and thus train.

She would also keep her spiritual energy up by bending whenever the guards were not around [as that would result in severe punishment]. She was a prodigy, and knew how to redirect lightning like she had been taught by her parents. She'd shoot a blast of lightning at some of the metal bars, which would deflect it back towards her, where she would either absorb it or reflect it again, and the noise it caused would always cause guards to come.

No one in the prison knew that this little scar-faced girl could wield lightning, and so when she feigned sleep upon their arrival to investigate the crackling noise, they never suspected her. Sometimes others got punished for her deeds, but in prison, it was everyone for them selves, and Kimiko didn't even know anyone in there, as she was by herself.

This used a lot of her energy though, and so Kimiko was often, if not always, tired upon inspection. This usually resulted in punishment, but like with all other punishment, she infuriated the guards (mostly Feng) by not screaming or yelling or ever saying anything. Proud Kimiko was not about to lose her last will to live to these barbarians who had killed her family. She had sworn on their graves that she would avenge them or be killed trying, which was why she was here.

The only downside to Kimiko's plan was that she had no idea of how to escape, but that was where Cheng came in. he took care of that problem for her by going through what he did to free her.

"And here I am," said Kimiko, "I still don't like talking to people, but I don't mind fighting them. After all, who here knows about Izuka Nagishima?"

"Aye," said Tenoko, "that was the name of the former Dark Warrior; whom I defeated. I presume he was related to you?"

"Aye," Kimiko replied, "I don't exactly remember how, but it's not like he was a good person, so it wasn't like I missed him. But that's not my point. My point it; is that I'm a lot like him. It's part of the Nagishima bloodline."

"Who are you," exclaimed Ryuka in disbelief. If he of all people was surprised, then this was something big.

"I'm just Kimiko Nagishima," Kimiko replied, "I serve The Avatar Guard and will fight The Order until the day I die."

"Are you sure you're alright," Lehran asked, "you just seem... different."

"Everybody has a dark side, Lehran," said Zakura darkly, "even Avatar Kai Serenes II did. Some people don't show their dark sides as often, but she had one, and from what the other avatars tell me, it was feared and respected. Even you have one, Lehran."

"I do," Lehran exclaimed, and Zakura's response was snatching up little Altina, who was running around. She held her up and put a knife to her throat, where she began panicking.

Lehran's hair stood on end. Zakura looked like she was really ready to do what he thought she was going to do.

"LET... HER... GO..." Lehran said sharply in a tone that even startled Zakura. Naturally, Zakura, who was just proving a point, did, and even comforted Altina, and soon the little girl was happily running around again, oblivious to what just happened.

"That's your dark side, Lehran," said Zakura, "I was just proving a point. I would never want to hurt your little sister."

Lehran was still breathing quickly. Koara put her arm around him.

"Relax, Lehran," she said, "it's just part of who we as people are. It doesn't make you any less of a Serenes than before. All of them, even Kai, were notoriously difficult to anger, but if you set them off..."

She paused and shuddered. She may have never done that, but she knew the consequences that came from making a Serenes mad. They were the type of people who were not designed to get angry similar to how Zuki Meisha was not designed to cry.

"So that's my story folks," said Kimiko darkly, "so now you know a little more about me. I am not fearless. People are my fear."

"I see," Royota commented, "thank you for the story."

"You're welcome," said Kimiko, "it wasn't a terribly big deal now that I think about it. It just made me stronger."

"Stronger," Katara I exclaimed, "how is that,"

"Because, I revealed who I was," said Kimiko in response, "I mean, everyone has a Dark Side."


	53. Chapter 53: He Had Reached Her

"Everyone has a dark side, eh," said Tenoko, "and also, everyone has some sort of dark story to tell. Gather around, folks, and I will relive to you all the story of my fight against The Dark Warrior, and perhaps also the sad tale of the destruction of my beloved family."

"You had children," Zeruda exclaimed, "you never told us that when you joined us in The Secret Service."

"They were killed with my husband," said Tenoko, "or rather, there is actually a much larger mystery behind that, which I will get into later. I haven't had enough to drink to tell that story, so right now I'm going to explain what exactly I know about Katara."

"Katara," Sokka exclaimed, "my mother, or my sister?"

"Your sister," said Tenoko, "or rather, I am going to explain my relationship between me and The Dark Warrior."

"Wait," Katara I exclaimed, "why did you use my daughter's name?"

"Because that is who I believe this new Dark Warrior is," Tenoko replied straightforwardly, and everyone gasped.

"Though I have no proof," said Tenoko, "so it is unimportant. I've been wrong before, anyways, so now; the story."

Everyone seemed to still be in a state of disbelief at Tenoko's logic about Katara II being The Warrior of the Black Hand,

"The Dark Warrior was formerly a man by the name of Izuka Nagishima. Young Kimiko brought his name up, I believe. Anyways, like she said, he wasn't the friendliest person out there, but his purpose is the same as the current Dark Warrior: he hated the war, and was independent of sides."

"So where did that name come from," Zakura asked, "The Warrior of the Black Hand", and "The Dark Warrior", eh?"

"Likely from his armor," Tenoko replied, "and there are likely other reasons, but since the man is gone there are no ways of finding out. He'd switch sides, sometimes fighting for The Order and other times fighting for The Avatar Guard. I believe that The Warrior of the Black Hand also appeared during the Northern Water Tribe Raid during the time when your people were captured, am I correct, Lehran?"

"I am not sure," Lehran replied, "for I did not see her."

"I did," said Koara, "I nearly was able to bloodbend him as well. Of course, I suppose I should say "her" now, since we know that The Dark Warrior is female. Nonetheless, aye, she was there."

"Her purpose remains unchanged from that of Izuka, "said Tenoko, "he fights to devastate both sides, for he wanted to end the war. Granted, it was folly this early, but with the rising of more benders such as the legendary Four that sit in front of us, it is more likely now."

Shinon, Aiku, and Zinjamyn felt and saw everyone's eyes dart towards them when Tenoko mentioned "Four Benders", for it was of them which she spoke. Alzar could feel them looking mostly at her, and was even able to tell that some people were looking at her eyes.

"Anyways," said Tenoko, "it was about 10 years or so ago that he came looking for me. His favorite places to go were the Water Tribes, but it seemed that this time he was on a mission to remove the figures of authority from the world, and that he was going to start with me.

"Hello," said Tenoko, as she encountered the black-clad man, "may I help you with something?"

"Aye," he replied, "I am here to end the war. It will begin with me taking your life. You may attempt to defend yourself if you wish."

"So be it," said Tenoko, still keeping calm and still with her game face on;

The Dark Warrior led Tenoko to an open icy field not too far from the village. He made motions to Tenoko.

"Do the honors," she said, "I do not want anyone to interrupt this fight."

"That sounds like a logical idea," Tenoko replied, "for aye, if there is anyone who would be receiving aid from this fight, it would be me."

"Precisely," The Dark Warrior replied, "and I seek not to be overwhelmed by petty attacks, but rather will die when one person of true power is able to finally defeat me."

"I see then," said Tenoko, "which is why I shall fulfill your demand."

Tenoko raised a wall of ice that cut them off from the village, but left the ocean open to them. It was thick, but Tenoko's precise skill with it made it look like glass.

"And now we fight, Tenoko Dragmire" said The Dark Warrior, "and you shall remember the name of Izuka Nagishima."

"Aye," said Tenoko, pulling out a coin with a black hand on it—a token from The Dark Warrior, meaning that he had labeled her as a threat previous to this meeting; "I suppose time will tell."

Huge blasts of fire and water were going everywhere. Naturally this drew crowds behind the ice, but neither Izuka nor Tenoko minded. They were locked in fierce combat. Izuka's fighting style was fierce, powerful, and offensive, while Tenoko's was calm, defensive and just as powerful. Huge bursts of fire shot towards the Water Chief, who was then 35 [and today, at 43, her skills had remained at the same level, if they haven't increased any]

Tenoko's style of waterbending was more unique, as it involved a lot of self-created flip-kicks and jabs that she used as defensive maneuvers. The Four Benders picked up some of their skills from unique benders such as Tenoko, and their styles of bending had since become so unique that they were and are considered "the best".

Fireball after fireball came soaring at Tenoko, but her flips and kicks and water shields prevented them from making their mark on the former Water Chief. Additionally, the large braces she wore on her arms and hands and the huge boots she wore on her feet also were designed for Tenoko's style, as her large hands and feet were able to spread water out into a larger surface area, thus defending her better.

Tenoko knew just how much water she would need to prevent Izuka's fireballs from penetrating her defenses. The flips and kicks, which after this fight became known notoriously as "Dragmire flips" (or "Tenoko flips", since Tenoko was the one to create them) were serving her well. However, Izuka was not finished. He put some distance between himself and Tenoko, and then swirled his fingers in the air. Tenoko heard a crackling sound and knew at once what this was.

To her surprise though, she was wrong. It was not just lightning, but it was red lightning, a bending technique first seen used by an ancient Fire Nation family: Fire Lord Saza and Fire Lady Sanaki. Its original creator was this selfsame Sanaki Li Chan, who then passed it on to her husband Saza. The technique of red lightning had been in their family ever since.

Though only the most prodigious descendants of Sanaki Li Chan (such as Alzar) were able to wield it; ironically, Sanaki Foxx was the only member of her family who could use it (though she acknowledged that she was not yet very skilled at it, and knew that she needed to practice, and therefore would and does), despite her being the youngest and smallest member of her family, all of whom were great firebenders.

Izuka was still trying to calculate what Tenoko's tactics were. Just when he thought he had figured out that she did for one of her tactics, her tactics would change. This was actually what eventually led Tenoko to victory. She did a sudden diversion from almost pure defense to pure offense. Izuka had never seen such a rapid diversion, and as a direct result, he was not ready for her.

Additionally, his lacks of defenses meant that all he could do was launch overwhelmingly powerful attacks at her and hope they hit. Some did, but Tenoko seemed to be disregarding pain at the moment. She blasted him through the icy wall and glided on the ice towards the ocean, keeping him sliding backwards. Izuka was near the edge about to fall into the depths (and sink from his heavy armor) and he knew that she had defeated him after their long battle.

"Ah," he said, removing his helmet and smiling up at her, "perfection, Chief Tenoko Dragmire. You have more skill than I do, and therefore, you have defeated me. I shall depart from here, and you shall take my icon as a symbol of your victory over me."

Izuka handed Tenoko a gold coin inscribed with the words "War destroys even the greatest of us all" on the edge. On the front it showed a mini-map of the world, and on the back it showed the emblems of The Four Nations. It was actually rather beautiful; though Tenoko was surprised he hadn't marked it in any way.

She was about to ask him about it, but before she could, Izuka had jumped into the depths of the water, never to be seen again.

"The Fire Nation recovered his body and armor a few weeks later," said Tenoko, "and then the armor disappeared. As for that coin, I still have it right here. I keep it with me at all times."

Tenoko showed them the brilliant coin, still shining, the inscription on the edge still clear as ever.

"War destroys even the greatest of us all," said Tenoko, "remember that."

"So that was it," said Zakura, "that was your story of how you defeated The Dark Warrior, eh?"

"Aye," Tenoko replied, "he wanted someone skilled enough to defeat him in battle to take him down, and I happened to be his first choice."

She paused and turned to Kimiko.

"I'm not sure what they say, about Izuka Nagishima," she told him, "but all in all, in my opinion, He Was a Good Man."


	54. Chapter 54: She Really Does Care

Chapter 54: She Really Does Care

While the older members of The Avatar Guard were talking, Reyson and Maric had "teamed up" to try and find Malak. They found her eventually (as their base was only so big), and she was heading into a room by herself. Reyson paused and looked at Maric.

"What do you think she's doing," he asked,

"Well," said Maric, "if I know my sister, I'd probably say she's going to get some sleep. She looked exhausted."

"She's badly wounded," said Reyson, "but she refused to let any of us analyze it further."

"You really care a lot about her, don't you," Maric asked,

"Aye," Reyson replied, "I do. She's a nice girl when she doesn't have an attitude. I just want to be able to break through to her and let her see that. She was really nice when we first met."

"I see," said Maric, mumbling something to him self, "well if she does what she always used to do, then I can assume she's getting dressed for bed. I think you should wait out here for a while."

"Alright," said Reyson, who seemed okay with this, "tell me how it goes."

"Alright then," said Maric, and he slipped inside.

He was right. Malak had undressed to her undergarments and was about ready to crawl into bed. However, this was not before Maric noticed that her stomach from her chest to her waist was a dark purple. There were also several purple marks on her legs and even some on her bare feet. Malak's face was one of surprise and anger.

"What are you doing in here," she exclaimed, "I was getting dressed,"

"Malak, please," Maric laughed, "don't use that on me. We're twins. We've seen each other more than anyone else. That's not my point though. I'm not about to let you go anywhere till you tell me what these are, and more importantly, what that is."

Maric knew the right answer, and therefore just wanted to see what Malak's answer would be. She sighed.

"Let me get some clothes on," said Malak

"No," Maric replied, putting on a light, "look at your self, Malak; bruises of that caliber are wrong in too many ways. What did you do, smash yourself against a rock?"

Malak paused and sat down on her bed. She sighed again and closed her eyes. In the light, her bruises looked even nastier than before, even against her dark Water Tribe skin.

"I was held hostage," Malak replied, "you heard the story. They beat me, Maric; they beat me. What was I supposed to do? Fall onto my face and let them trample all over me? No, I was going to stand my ground."

"I understand that you're hart, Malak," Maric replied, "but that's no reason to get mad at me, and more importantly, no reason to get mad at Prince Reyson. You can get mad at me all you want. I ditched you and joined The Order. Reyson has only been trying to help you."

"How do you know," Malak asked, "you weren't with him until a few days ago. You don't know what he did?"

"Alright then," said Maric, "what did he do to you that was so bad? If he did anything that made you uncomfortable tell me and I'll rectify the problem with a little bit of water and some power."

Malak paused. She knew that Maric was right and that Reyson had in fact only been trying to help her.

"Well," said Maric, smirking like a triumphant sibling does, "I'm waiting."

"Fine," Malak spat, "he didn't do anything. Just leave me alone now."

She got up and tried to push Maric to the door, but Maric wouldn't let her. He grabbed her by her wrists and led her back to the bed where he sat her down.

"Let me go," Malak snapped, "and get out of here so I can get dressed and go to bed. I'm tired. Leave me alone!"

"Malak," Maric snapped in retaliation, "get a grip on yourself, girl! You're mad because you're hurt. There is only so much that a person can do for his or herself. Learn that, live with it, and DEAL WITH IT."

"I'm not hurt!" Malak shouted, "I'm tired. Now get out of here!"

Malak stood up and began forcibly pushing Maric towards the door. However, Maric, to prove a point, spun around and nailed Malak powerfully in her stomach, right where she had been bruised and broken before. Malak wailed in pain and fell to her knees crying.

"What did you do that for," she shouted, her eyes watering, "ay... you jerk, Maric. Stop bugging me and LEAVE ME ALONE."

"I was proving a point," said Maric, "you've probably broken something, Malak. You're hurt, and you're hurt badly. Face it."

"No," Malak replied, "I'm not going to bend to your will after what you just did to me; never!"

"Then prove me wrong," said Maric bluntly, "stand up if you can."

Malak tried to stand up, but the pain in her chest was so intense from Maric's punch that she couldn't, and she fell back down crying from the pain again. She was clearly very frustrated and very hurt.

"Did Reyson ever ask you about how you felt?" he asked her,

"No," Malak replied, sniffling and wiping tears from her face, "no one did. That's why I never got any help."

Maric bent down and lifted his sister's chin up so that he was looking directly into his eyes.

"I said," said Maric, "did he ever ask you about it."

Once again, Maric knew the answer (thanks to Reyson, who unlike Malak, was telling the truth) and so was waiting for it. He knew that his sister lied to him sometimes just like he lied to her sometimes. However, to Maric, Reyson had a clean record of telling the truth, so he believed him without question every time.

"Aye," Malak cried, "alright? Just... just stop this; please?"

"Someone needs to try and heal you then," Maric declared, "because you're badly hurt, sis. I can tell that's why you have an attitude."

"I..." Malak sniffled, "I don't wanna..."

"Why not," Maric asked, "what's the matter with you?"

"It makes me feel like a burden," Malak replied, "like I'm just getting in the way; like I'm helpless; useless."

"Malak," said Maric, "for the 68th time, it doesn't make you worthless, or make anyone think less of you. You're only human. It's going to happen to everyone at one time or another. Here, I bet Reyson could explain it better. You want to throw something on and I'll go get him?"

Malak passed, seemingly being deep in thought. She tried to stand up, but cringed in pain again.

"Just put me back on the bed," she said, "I... I really don't want to move more than I have to. That hurt, Maric; guuhh... ooh..."

"I know it did, sis," said Maric, hoisting his twin sister up and setting her gently onto her bed, so she was sitting down dangling her feet off the side, "but you're just as stubborn as I am; or Tenoko for that matter."

"Tenoko," Malak exclaimed, "Aye, that woman's a stubborn one. I overheard her stubbornly saying that Katara Altina II was The Dark Warrior. No one seems to believe her."

"Do you," said Maric, "or is this for another time,"

"I'll talk about it later," said Malak, "just get Reyson;"

"You sure you're fine like that," Maric asked, indicating Malak being in her undergarments, but Malak nodded. Maric had this fleeting impression that she was doing it just to get a reaction from Reyson, and sure enough, upon his entrance, he was a bit shocked as well.

"Whoa," he said, "um, did I come at a bad time?"

"No," Malak replied calmly, "it's... its fine."

"You really do like to make people feel awkward, don't you," he said, though was slightly chuckling; as this Malak seemed much more softened than the one he had met previously;

Malak said nothing.

"Malak," said Reyson, "what your brother is saying is, is that everyone is going to eventually need help. No one is perfect, not even the avatar. There are still good people in this world who don't mind helping others. Usually in your case, help comes to you instead of the other way around. Consider yourself lucky."

"But it makes me feel so helpless," Malak complained, "like I can't do anything myself."

"Malak, you're being too hard on yourself; both your body and your spirit. You need to just rest. Let someone like your brother or Koara Lombardi come and fix you up. I guarantee they wouldn't mind."

"I can do it myself," she said, but cringed again from the pain, and she had only moved one of her arms;

"You need to lie down, Malak," said Reyson, gently running one of his hands through her hair, "just relax. Let your troubles slip away in your sleep. I'm not telling you this because I want to sound like a parent to you. I'm telling you this, Malak, because I honestly care about you."

"Why though," Malak asked, "I mean, what did I do that got you interested in me and my well-being?"

"I don't know," said Reyson, "it's just that I... I feel different around you. Around your brother I feel like a close friend, but around you it feels... different. I just feel like I want to be with you—to comfort you when you're feeling down; just to give you reassurance. I don't know exactly; I probably sound really stupid right now."

"No, you..." Malak stammered, "You're alright. But aye, you're right. I... I just need some rest. Thanks for that talk, Reyson. It... It meant a lot more than I thought it would."

Malak gently kissed Reyson's cheek, and before he could respond, she had curled up in bed. He left the room without a word, and found Maric waiting outside for him.

"Well," he asked, "how did it go?"

"It went well," Reyson replied, "and I think She Really Does Care."


	55. Chapter 55: He Had Reached Her

Chapter 55: He Had Reached Her

Malak ended up sleeping through the night. Maric eventually came in, and being a waterbending prodigy like he was, he went to work on his sister. Granted, there were people in the base with much more skill than him, but it was the thought of a brother healing his twin sister that he figured Malak would like the best.

He was surprised to find that the entire time he was busy, Malak remained asleep. As he was finishing up and preparing to leave the room, there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it," Maric asked calmly,

"Reyson," the voice replied, "is it alright if I come in?"

"Aye," Maric replied; considering that Malak hadn't cared about being seen by Reyson in her underthings last night, he figured that she wouldn't care if she was asleep.

"How is she," Reyson asked, sitting down on the bed beside Maric,

"She's fine," Maric replied, "it's a nasty mark though. She must have gotten pummeled really badly."

"Ah," Reyson replied, "that's what I assumed. Of course, when she was with me it's not like she was dressed like that though."

"Of course not," Maric replied, "but yet one thing makes me wonder: why was she fine with being seen like this in front of you?"

"I'm not sure," Reyson replied, "I mean: I take it she doesn't go like this out in public, does she?"

Maric chuckled, "I'm surprised she doesn't, being the rebel she is," he said, "I mean if you tell her something done in normal culture, she'll generally aim to do the opposite."

"Really now," Reyson exclaimed,

"Well," said Maric, "mostly. Still though, that makes me wonder... hey Malak, in common culture, people wear clothes."

He paused and then imitated Malak.

"Well in that case..." he said and then imitated Malak reducing her clothing level to what it was now and running off. This stunt even made Reyson laugh. Siblings made fun of each other all the time anyways.

"You think she'd do that," Reyson asked,

"Doubtful," Maric replied, "I mean, if she hasn't figured that out in 14 years, I think she knows better."

"I should hope so," said Reyson chuckling, "but then that leaves me with that question again: why was she okay with me coming in like that?"

"Well," said Maric, "according to the Dragmire Twin logic, she's okay only around people she's comfortable with being around. Therefore, one can logically assume that she's comfortable with being around you or perhaps, something a little more."

"What are you saying?" Reyson asked,

"Are you really that naïve," Maric chuckled,

"No," Reyson replied, elbowing Maric, "but... that?"

"Aye," Maric replied, "long story short, I think she has a crush on you, Reyson. And as her brother, I say get her out of my hair."

Reyson and Maric both laughed, as they knew Maric wasn't being serious. Reyson did question Maric's first statement though.

"You seriously think she likes me?" he asked,

"I'd safely assume she does," said Maric in response, "but like I've said before, we're opposites. I mean, heck, I'm a guy and she's a girl. That should say something from the start. Anyways, it's true though. I'm fine around people; she likes being by herself. She's shy, I'm not."

"So if I wanted to approach her properly, what would I do?" Reyson asked, "I don't like making people uncomfortable."

"I wouldn't know," Maric replied, "I mean, I'm her brother, and I've been literally at her side nearly all my life, so she's never been edgy around me. I've always been able to just turn to her and talk."

"Ah," Reyson remarked, "that's true. Add another mark on the "dumb Reyson" list."

"Heh," Maric chuckled, "just say what you mean, and mean what you say when you talk to her and you should be fine. I don't understand girls any more than you do."

"Alright then," Reyson replied, "I mean: I really care about her. I want her to be happy, especially when she's around me."

"She'll like that," Maric replied, "just keep treating her nicely and it'll only be a matter of time before you see results."

"Alright then" said Reyson, standing up, "I'm glad she's going to be fine too. With hits as nasty as those, it had me worried."

"One thing we have noticed," Said Maric, "about the Dragmire name, is that like Tenoko, we're made of some pretty durable stuff. It would actually lead me to believe that we ARE in fact related to her, but the last time we saw her she didn't seem to recognize us at all, and so..."

"I understand," Reyson replied, "but now I suppose I should leave you two here. I mean, even if she was comfortable with me here, I think at this point she deserves a little privacy from me."

"Alright," Maric replied, "I'll see you later."

Reyson stepped out and closed the door. A few minutes later, Malak stirred and woke up.

"Guuhh," she groaned, sitting up and rubbing her eyes "where am I?"

"The same place you last were, sis," Maric chuckled, "oh, and Reyson stepped out a few minutes ago. He seemed really concerned about how well you were doing."

"He," Malak stammered, "he did?"

"Aye," Maric replied, "I think he has the same crush on you that you have on him. And as your brother, I can say those sorts of things because that's what siblings do to each other."

"Stop it," said Malak, hitting her brother's arm,

"Just admit it," said Maric, "I mean: we're living under the same roof as Zakura. Word of this is going to spread like wildfire."

Maric didn't have to know Zakura too well to know that she did that sort of thing. He caught on quickly.

"So are you feeling better," he asked her,

"Aye," Malak replied, looking down at her stomach. Maric had done a pretty good job at clearing the bruises, and Malak felt much better as a result of this; they both were prodigious waterbenders and good healers as a result. Maric took his time to make sure he was accurate instead of efficient, especially with this being his twin sister.

"so Malak," said Maric again, "I mean, I know I was kind of nudging you about this a few seconds ago, but in all honesty, what do you think of Reyson? I mean: this is me asking. He didn't ask me to do this."

"I..." Malak stammered, "I find myself comfortable around him; like he really is trying to always be there for me. He one time told me that he hated doing things that made people around him uncomfortable. I really admire that about him."

"Do you want me to tell you a little secret," he asked, grinning,

"Alright," Malak replied, "what is it?"

"Well," said Maric in response, "I think he has a similar crush on you. Oh, but you look tired. I'll tell you more about it later."

Maric got up and headed towards the door. Naturally Malak wasn't going to let him do that. She got up and latched onto his arm, trying to pull him back to her bed.

"Shouldn't you get dressed, Malak," he laughed, putting his hand on the doorknob, "I mean, I'm going to open the door here..."

"No you're not," Malak snapped, dragging him backwards, "you're going to talk to me about Reyson."

Maric laughed, "Fine, fine, you win." he said, letting her take her back to her bed. Instead of crawling back into it though she sat on the side of it beside him. She turned to face him.

"What did he say," Malak asked, "tell me exactly what he said."

"He said," said Maric, "that he wanted you to be happy, especially when you were around him."

Malak sighed dreamily. "He's such a gentleman," she said, but then she sort of snapped to her senses and realized that Maric had just heard that, and more importantly, the dreamy way she had said it.

"Well," said Maric, laughing, "I'm not the one to judge another guy, so I'll let you say what you'd like. I'll see you around, alright?"

"Alright," Malak replied, still a brilliant shade of pink from what she had just said; she watched Maric leave and then she lay down again.

Shortly afterwards, she figured she wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep, so she got back into her clothes and stepped out. She wanted to talk to Reyson now, and so she spent the next few minutes "hunting him down". She eventually found him in another bedroom, though he wasn't undressing for bed or anything.

"Oh," he exclaimed as the door opened, "hello, Malak. Are you feeling better now?"

"Aye," Malak replied, "I'm fine. I just wanted to talk about something."

"Feel free to," said Reyson, "if you ever just want to talk, I'm almost always open, so..."

"I just wanted to say," Said Malak, who was clearly nervous, "I... I feel comfortable around you. I feel like you're there for me—to protect me, even if and when I don't want help."

"I am," said Reyson, "I mean: I know you hate people helping you, but I just feel like it's a duty. Sorry if I make you upset."

"No, it's..." Malak stammered, "I don't know... it's hard to explain."

"You look tired," Reyson remarked, "maybe you should try to go to sleep a little more and then come back. I'll probably still be up by then."

"Alright," Malak replied, "I... alright; I'll go."

This also surprised Reyson, as he didn't expect her to actually do what he told her to.

Reyson didn't realize it, but He Had Reached Her.


	56. Chapter 56: It Is Because Of Hatred

Chapter 56: It Is Because Of Hatred

Just like Maric, Malak, ad Reyson were having their discussion while Tenoko was speaking to some of the others, Tenoko's conversation and story were not over.

"Hmm," she said, "it seems that I'm not quite tired yet. I suppose I can fill you all in about the mystery of the Dragmire children... that is: if any of you are interested."

"Well," said Iresu, "considering that this is something that you've never even told us before, I believe that we all would like to hear it."

Everyone else who was present (Zakura, Ryuka, The Four Benders, Zeruda, Vigo, Mulan, Sanaki, Koara, Lehran, [Altina], Kimiko, Sokka, Katara I, [Tenoko, Iresu], and Royota) instantly agreed with Iresu, and therefore, Tenoko consented.

"The story of my twin children is something that is still disputed in the Water Tribes to this day." She said, "Granted, it's not a huge dispute, but the story of what exactly happened is still not very clear. The ones who could tell it: my husband and whoever invaded the Water Tribe Palace that day; are all dead.

The twins were a few months old on the night they disappeared. I was actually on business in the Southern Water Tribe curing the day of the invasion. As a result of being on the opposite side of the world during that time, it was a few days before I learned what had happened.

The moment I found out, I abandoned everything I was doing and went straight up to the site of the incident. They had confirmed the death of my beloved husband, but they said evidence of my little babies was not found. The two little graves that sit beside the one of my husband are empty. My little Kemet and Komae were never found."

"Kemet and Komae," Iresu remarked, "I take it that those were the names of your children then?"

"Aye," Tenoko replied, "and they were dear to me. To see my family torn apart like that, all in the course of a single night; it devastated me. It was actually the reason I started drinking. It took my mind away from knowing that my family was gone. It helped me remain stable."

"You know it'll end up hurting you in the long run" Royota remarked, "am I correct, or...?"

"Aye," Tenoko replied, "perhaps. But anyways, once I was able to let it go, I became happier. Granted, it still hurts me when I think of it, but I'm not going to dwell upon it, especially knowing that the ones who caused me this trouble are dead."

"So how many years ago did this happen," Zeruda asked, "I mean: if your children were alive, how old would they be?"

"It happened about 14 years ago," Tenoko replied, "so Kemet and Komae would be almost 15 if they were still alive."

Suddenly, Vigo did something to get attention (being unable to speak, he wasn't able to call out). He ended up conveying the message (through earthbending and other acting means) that he actually theorized that Maric and Malak were Tenoko's missing children. By his logic, Maric's real name was Kemet, and Malak's real name was Komae.

He finished his little act by communicating the message that he noticed that they had the same eye color—a unique shade of blue—as Tenoko.

"I've noticed that," Tenoko replied, "but I met them one time in the

Northern Water Tribe before; but they didn't look familiar.

"Well of course they wouldn't look familiar," said Sanaki, "I mean, I might be blind, but even I know that people grow up. If you haven't seen them in 14 years they'd have plenty of time to change in appearance."

"That's true," Tenoko replied, "and I'm not trying to deny them being related to me. There's no way to disprove it, but conversely, there's no way to prove it. I was just saying that usually a mother is capable of recognizing her children, no matter how long they've been apart."

"I know," said Sanaki, "and I wasn't trying to argue your logic. I was just making that comment. Vigo did have a point."

(Sanaki knew what Vigo was "saying" because various people around him would try to guess what he was trying to say and he'd nod or shake his head depending on if they were right or wrong. Sanaki was able to tell when Vigo shook his head or nodded)

Vigo simply shrugged, implying that it was just a thought.

"No harm done," Tenoko replied, and Vigo nodded.

"And that was the story," said Tenoko, "shortly afterwards I ran into The Warrior of the Black Hand; and luckily for me I was over my little reign of depression and wasn't getting hammered every afternoon. I've already told that story, and from there I eventually joined The Avatar Guard Secret Service with Iresu and Zeruda.

"It was several months before we found you," said Zeruda, "I mean: I found Iresu about 3 or 4 months after I heard the news of what had happened with you at the Northern Water Tribe, but it was about 1 or 2 more months before we found and recruited you. What were you doing in the meantime? I mean: Iresu and I were looking for you."

"I told you that part already," Tenoko replied, "I had a gang life in the Water Tribe Underground. It's like The Underground here in Ba Sing Se, only it's in the Southern Water Tribe."

"Really now," said Iresu," we thought you were joking about that. You were pretty madly drunk when we found you."

"You expected otherwise?" Tenoko exclaimed laughing, "but no, it's true. I did have a gang life, and did a lot of things that would make the law not look too happily down on me. Granted, I was no longer Tribe Chief, so in my eyes it wasn't a big deal. I got into illegal bending tournaments... often times the loser was killed."

"Hmm," said a voice from behind them, "that sounds like the story of a typical day in the life of Zakura Ishiko."

"Aye," Tenoko chuckled, "I remember seeing you under the alias of 'Zak' in my travels. It's a good thing you were from the same organization that I was; otherwise I'd be in for a load of trouble—and pain."

Zakura laughed. "I served under you, you drunken fool," she said, laughing, "spirits; how much were you drinking?"

"Do you really want to know the answer to that?" Tenoko asked;

Zakura paused. "Eh, I probably don't," she replied, and they laughed.

"Well, folks," said Tenoko, "my gang life is personal business, so buzz off. If anyone else wants to tell a story, feel free. I'm all fresh out."

"Tenoko," said Zakura, "I'm the avatar. If I want you to tell me something, I have my ways of getting it out of people. I think offering you a bottle of this after hours would probably get you talking."

Zakura held up a bottle of something with a very high alcohol content that Tenoko eyed closely. She stowed it away and continued sitting there, waiting for the next story."

"why don't you tell us a little about your life, Princess;" Tenoko chuckled, "surely living with parents who are part of the group trying to kill you had to have had some interesting sparks."

"Don't call me 'princess' or I'll knock your block off," Zakura snapped, chuckling, "my story though? There's not much to tell. A lot of it..."

Zakura paused, closing her eyes.

The real reason she didn't want to tell about her past with her family was because it brought back great and terrible memories, and was mostly sad. As for her title of "princess", Zakura didn't want it any more than she wanted Xin Shing to capture her. Nonetheless, she used it to her advantage when she could (but in reality, Zakura used anything to her advantage whenever she could) and was actually considering something big this time involving her family.

"Oh dear," Sanaki said with a tone of concern, noticing a disruption in Zakura's heat patterns that came from her sudden change of emotion. "I... I don't think we should ask her about it."

The others were quick to notice Zakura's rapid change.

"Eh," she said, standing up, tilting her hat to cover her eyes, "I'll be right back. I... I just need to do something."

She stood up and went into one of the back rooms. Aiku, Shinon, and Zinjamyn looked at each other (and to Alzar, but since she was blind she couldn't look back at them) and nodded.

"I think we know what's wrong," said Aiku to the others, "we'll be right back too. We're going to go find her."

"It's understandable," said Royota, and incidentally, none of the people here seemed to mind Zakura's rude disappearance, "everyone has something that they don't like talking about."

Incidentally though, after The Four Benders left, the others got to talking about Zakura.

"I never knew that was such a touchy subject for her," said Tenoko, "I mean, she never faltered like that before when I was with her—ever."

"Sometimes the past can be a painful thing," said Royota, "this war was all caused by hatred: this same hatred which now torments our young friend, the avatar—Zakura Ishiko.

It was hatred that broke apart the families of many of us here. It is hatred that causes The Warrior of the Black Hand to fight against it—hatred of the war is clearly why she takes either side. This world is in an ongoing civil war all because of hatred and discrimination. This is the reason we're fighting against each other as a house divided: brother against brother and sister against sister. It Is Because Of Hatred."


	57. Chapter 57: She Was Happy Again

Chapter 57: She Was Happy Again

Naturally, the Four Benders were not surprised to find that Zakura had put a lot of distance between her and the others. She was on one of the 2nd floor bedrooms, whilst the other had been in the 1st floor main lounge. They figured that this was something serious.

Alzar paused just outside one of the doors. She crouched down and put her hand on the door.

"She's in here," she whispered, raising her eyebrows, "whatever Tenoko said must have hit her hard."

"We can't blame Tenoko for it though," Aiku remarked, "how was she supposed to know that that would affect Zakura that much? In fact, why DOES it affect her that way?"

"I'm not sure about you all," said Alzar, gently pushing the door open, "but I'm going to find out."

Alzar slipped in and sensed Zakura sitting on the bed, her head hanging and her arms crossed. Zakura sensed Alzar's presence.

"What do you want," she asked, and she clearly sounded upset;

"Zak," said Alzar, "remember who we are."

Zakura did not respond to this, so Alzar continued.

"I just came in to find out what's wrong," she said, "the others are just outside the door."

Zakura stood up. "What others," she snapped. There was clearly something else that was annoying her;

"Shin, Ike, and Zinj, of course," Alzar replied, "what; did you really think I'd drag everyone here to see you? No, it was just a consensus between us four." She paused and turned to the door. "Get in here, you three."

Aiku, Shinon, and Zinjamyn stepped in.

"Zakura," said Zinjamyn in his usual calm tone, "tell us what's wrong."

"It's the same thing that's 'wrong' every time I get upset," Zakura replied, punching her palm, "it's about my past, and the fact that I hate it."

"That was something we always found interesting about you," said Shinon with a hint of enigma, "you would always avoid talking about that subject at all costs. We respected that, but after Alz sensed such a dramatic change of emotions that suddenly, it just brings us to wonder: what was it about? Why does it do this to you?"

"That's none of your business," Zakura replied stiffly,

"Zak," said Alzar, who was most likely the most stubborn of the four, "if we've respected you for this long, what makes you think we're suddenly turning on you now? We want to help you, Zak. Swallow whatever it is that's holding you back and tell us what's wrong."

Zakura made a sudden grasping movement towards Alzar's throat, but she jumped out of the way.

"It's that fact that my own flesh and blood has made me out to be a monster," Zakura replied stiffly, "they know by now who I am—what I have become—I am the nemesis of their organization. King Zhang and Queen Zao Lin are my parents, and they want me dead."

"Don't take your anger out on us though, Zak," Aiku warned, "like Alzar said: we're only here to help you."

"How did you behave when you were around your parents," Shinon asked, for he, like the other three, was curious as to what Zakura's past was like; "I mean: there's so much about you that we never thought we should ask about; and yet to see you like this..."

"It makes us sad, Zak," said Zinjamyn, "you honestly mean a lot more to us than even we were aware of. We don't want to see the woman we spent so many years bonding with and teaching stress herself out like this. We want to help, Zakura."

Zakura said nothing.

"Have you ever talked to anyone about this," Shinon asked, "this sounds like this is some sort of mental weakness or something."

"Aye," Zakura replied, "that's what it is. It was in a trip to the spirit world that I learned that. Avatar Lahka told me it was my weakness."

"I see," said Aiku, moving Zakura's hat to behind her back and running his fingers through her hair. Unlike that of her family (though this was likely because of how she treated herself) Zakura's hair was coarse and scraggly like Katara II's. If Zakura were in a happier mood, Aiku would have made a remark about Zakura being short, but he figured that this was not the right time for it.

"It's my own family," said Zakura, "and that's what makes me so... so angry; so confused. Why did it have to be them? What insanity could drive them to hate their own child like that?"

"How did you behave when you were with them," Alzar asked,

"It was actually back in a time when I was generally obedient," Zakura replied, "the only reason they really got after me was because I was an earthbender. I never really gave them a reason to hate me, unless bending is a legitimate reason."

The 4 Benders took Zakura's word for it, and she was in fact being truthful. It was just the hatred that The Order of the Avatar Slayer had towards the Avatar Guard and the avatar himself (though that 'himself' became 'herself' once Lahka died) that made them hate Zakura. Surprisingly, this was before they knew she was the avatar. If they had known while she still lived with them, they would have ended her life then and there. Zakura didn't even find out she was the avatar until shortly after her 16th birthday.

"It makes me mad," said Zakura again, "to think that I'm the cause of all this war; and not even for anything I've done. It's because of the mere fact that I exist; that I'm the avatar."

"Exactly," said Alzar, "you're the avatar. And you don't seem to have any weaknesses in that department. If you do it's our flaws in our teaching methods. We wanted to make sure you were the best. That was why we dedicated our lives to making sure you turned out well."

"I still don't understand why you would do that," said Zakura, "I mean: there I was; just an everyday earth kingdom girl; and then I get thrown into a world where they say "you're the next avatar" and it turns my life around. Then you four appear and befriend me for no reason. I never fully understood it. Why did you do what you did?"

"Because even I could see what you were like deep down," Alzar replied, smiling, "you needed a friend, Zakura. We figured we could also help with that while we taught you the elements."

"But why," Zakura asked, "why did you continue to put up with my crap and lack of respect? Why did you decide to dedicate your lives to me learning your skills?"

"Because we wanted to be able to look one day and say "we taught Zakura Ishiko; the greatest avatar to ever live." Shinon replied, "She was not just a learner, but she was also like a sister to us."

"Face it, Zak-Zak," said Zinjamyn, "you're part of us now."

"You know what," said Zakura, "I think I'm going to hit you for that."

However, Zinjamyn was able to bend back and avoid Zakura's uppercut, and when people dodged it, Zakura let up. She only tried it once before doing it again. She'd wait a while before her next strike.

"You know what," said Zakura, smiling, "I think you're right in more ways than one. I don't think I'd be able to manage very well without you four here for me. I want to be able to look back and say "you know The Legendary Four Benders? They were my teachers"." She paused for a moments before she continued.

"They were also my family," she said, opening her arms and bringing the four of them in an embrace, "and I love them."

Alzar, Shinon, Aiku, and Zinjamyn all smiled upon seeing the happiness return to Zakura's emotions

"Then we have succeeded," said Aiku, "remember Zakura: if there's anything that troubles you—anything at all, no matter how ridiculous it may sound; just come fine us. We're here for you, no matter what the circumstances are. Always remember that, Zakura, and you'll be alright. You're not going to lose this war; you have friends everywhere that are willing to die for the freedom of this world, and for your survival."

"Thank you," said Zakura, her eyes watering only slightly (for neither Alzar, Shinon, Zinjamyn, nor Aiku thought they should mention this, as they were not in the mood for a dislocated jaw at the current time);

The next morning was another typical day, with the exception of Cheng encountering Zakura when she was alone.

"What do ya need," Zakura asked, chuckling, "an extra set of clothes for Taki because you took them off and lost them?"

"Um, no;" Cheng replied, "I was just going to ask you something."

"Well," said Zakura shrugging, "fire away."

"What's the prettiest place you've ever been?" he asked,

"Ah," she said, "taking your girl out somewhere special, I wager?"

"Aye," Cheng replied, by now knowing that telling Zakura the truth was the best way to get her off your back, "and I figured since you've already done so much for us that another favor wouldn't hurt, right?"

"Sounds logical," Zakura replied, "as for the place, take her west just across the river from the village west of Fengtai. You might have to take back roads to avoid The Order, but trust me, it's worth it."

"Alright then," said Cheng, smiling, "thanks."

"You're welcome," Zakura replied, smiling back as Cheng left, presumably to tell Taki. Normally she might have made something up, but she was in a much better mood, and this lifted the spirits of most of the base. They were all glad that She Was Happy Again."


	58. Chapter 58: They Were Going to Fight

Chapter 58: They Were Going to Fight

Cheng and Taki set off early the next morning to the place Zakura told them about for their honeymoon. Incidentally, on their way out, they were stopped by Royota.

"There are lots of Order Kyoshi Warriors in that area," he warned, "It is theorized that The Order has a base there. I am not trying to tell you this to deter you two from going to such a beautiful place, but rather, warning you to be wary, keep your guard up, and be prepared to fight if the situation arises.

"We'll do that," Cheng said, smiling at Royota. He was dressed in a red and gold Fire Nation suit, and Taki was clad in a white dress with elaborate green patterns running across it. However, they had a bag with food and other necessities; and among these necessities were both Cheng and Taki's uniforms and weapons; Cheng being a Fire Nation Soldier and Taki being a Kyoshi Warrior.

"Farewell," said Royota, "Zakura says for you two to be safe."

"We will be," Taki replied; and with that, the newly married couple left the base. It was still very early in the morning. The sun hadn't even come up yet. Using more money from Zakura, they boarded the monorail for Fengtai and would go from there. Once they boarded, Cheng decided to inspect their things just to make sure nothing was slipped in by anyone, as there were dodgy people in this world obviously; and there was a huge war going on.

Ironically, Cheng found something out of place right off the bat. It was a note, written in nice handwriting that was clearly done by a female (though some people like Zakura and Katara II [the latter of which was completely illiterate, and therefore could neither read nor write, except her name] has scraggly handwriting that was illegible enough to pass of as a man's sometimes).

"What's this," he exclaimed, and read it aloud.

"This I will remember when the rest of life is through: the greatest thing I've ever done is simply loving you." ~Taki~

Cheng looked over at Taki, who was sitting next to him [of course]; she looked tired. When she noticed he had read what she wrote, she smiled.

"I love you," she whispered, and kissed his cheek before gently resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

"I love you too, sweetie," Cheng replied, kissing her in return. She gently put her arms around him and fell asleep her head still on his shoulder.

Cheng eventually fell asleep as well, and the two of them slept until they reached the small village west of Fengtai. It was still early in the morning, but it was just starting to get brighter. They remained asleep though, and it took one of the guards, and older man, to wake them up.

He was clearly an order member, for he roughly nudged Cheng awake by lightly hitting his [upper] chest.

"Oy," he said, "get your girly-friend up and get your selves off the train. We're at your stop, boy." He was about to nudge Taki in the same manner as he had done to Cheng, but Cheng stopped him.

"Excuse me," said Cheng crossly, "that's my wife. Don't you dare lay a hand on her like that or you'll be answering to me."

Cheng made a fireball in his hand, and the guard backed away. He was most likely not a bender or a very weak one.

"Start a fight and you'll be hauled off to prison, boy" he said, "the law's the law, regardless of whether or not you're married."

"Then don't touch my wife, and you'll be alright." Cheng replied, gently rousing Taki. These were his last words to the guard, and they got off the train without any further hassle. He had gotten defensive because the guard had hit Cheng's chest [not painfully; just enough to wake him up] and was about to hit Taki in the same area before Cheng had intercepted it. As they stepped off, Taki rubbed her eyes. She was still exhausted; and unlike Cheng, she didn't get an afternoon nap like he had.

"What happened," she asked, not quite back in the real world,

"nothing, honey," Cheng replied, still leading her by the hand west and towards the outside of the village, which was mostly overrun by Order members—as this was Ju Long's village.

"Who was that man you were yelling at," she asked, still also leaning on him for support. Her steps were slightly awkward and she seemed dizzy;

"He was a man who tried to touch my wife in a way that I wasn't going to allow," Cheng replied, still slightly cross that the man had had the nerve to attempt what he did, "but don't worry: he didn't, and nothing happened while we slept."

"Except my dress is missing," Taki replied, and Cheng looked down, shocked at the absurdity of what Taki had just told him. However, when he looked down, he saw it was still on her body, covering her legs like it was supposed to. Taki giggled.

"Just kidding," she said, "it'll only go missing when you and I are alone."

Cheng laughed. "Are you awake yet?"

"Aye," Taki replied, "but don't let go of my hand."

Cheng didn't, but when Taki tried to walk without leaning on Cheng, she nearly fell over. Her eyes were closed, and Cheng could tell from how slow her body was moving [and from how slow her heartbeat was, for he had pressed her up against him] that she was still worn out. He hoisted her up and continued towards his destination, carrying his wife and their things.

He was a strong man, and Taki was light, so this was relatively easy. They made it out of the village and continued until they reached the river, which was only a short distance away. They looked around, but could not see any signs of a way across. The land on the other side looked greener than the land they were on, and so Cheng knew they were getting close. Taki woke up again by this time.

"What's the matter, Cheng-Cheng?" she asked gently,

"There's no way across, Cheng replied, "we might just have to swim across this thing. You think we can do it?"

Taki giggled, "Aye," she replied, "it'll wake me up too."

"I'm gonna toss you in then," Cheng laughed, looking at the river; it was slow moving, and probably only about 5 or 6 feet deep at best, and so there was little or no danger.

Taki giggled. Cheng tossed her up towards the river and she came down, her dress fluttering like a parachute. Cheng let out a wolf-whistle when he saw this. When Taki hit the water, it was still billowing. Cheng did a cannonball in after her, and a few minutes later they were laughing on the opposite bank of the river, soaked from head to toe [though the white material of Taki's dress was not see-through]. They smiled and looked at each other.

"Wait," said Cheng, "we left our things on the other side,"

"That's fine," Taki giggled, and she was now awake for the time being, "I'll take care of that."

Taki moved her foot only slightly, and the mass of earth that their bag was on zipped across the river until it hit the opposite bank.

"Why didn't you just earthbend us across then," Cheng exclaimed, chuckling at Taki's cleverness,

"Because that way was much more fun," Taki replied, hugging Cheng, "and it woke me up. I couldn't earthbend us in a straight line if I was half-asleep, you know what I mean?"

"True," Cheng replied, "but oh well. Let's get to our destination and set up camp. Then we'll be able to get some more rest."

Cheng took Taki's hand and the soaking wet couple made their way deeper into the beautiful forest. They found a gorgeous spot where they could clearly see the beautiful sunrise, and set up camp there. It was very quiet and serene here. When Cheng and Taki weren't moving or talking, the only thing they could hear was the sound of the other person breathing.

"This feels strange," said Taki, "I mean, I wonder why a place like this is so quiet. It's almost eerie."

"I was thinking the same thing," said Cheng, "this place seems like its being watched—or that something—or someone—has been here."

"Maybe we're just tired," said Taki, "I mean: if you recall, I was barely able to think straight before the river."

"That's true," said Cheng, "perhaps making out will solve the problem."

"Aye" Taki replied, laughing, "It answers everything."

And so that was what they did. Unfortunately for them, they had literally walked right into the area where The Order's Kyoshi Warrior base was. They were so busy locking lips that they did not notice that swarms of Order Kyoshi Warriors and Fire Nation soldiers had surrounded them. They were rolling on the ground for a while passionately kissing until Taki suddenly jerked back.

"Cheng," she gasped, picking up something off the ground, "look at this,"

It was an old knife, as if there had been a fight here before.

Cheng gasped. "If there was a fight here before," he said, "then..."

"It's about time you two blithering idiots figured it out," said a voice. Cheng and Taki looked up and saw the squadron of Kyoshi Warriors and Fire Nation soldiers all around them. "We've been watching and closing in on you for the past 35 minutes."

Cheng and Taki said nothing at first. Suddenly though, they both instantly (and literally) flipped up, landed and stood back to back, Cheng in a firebending stance and Taki in an earthbending stance. They were surrounded, but They Were Going to Fight.


	59. Chapter 59: A Blow To Their Pride

Chapter 59: A Blow To Their Pride

"So you two think you can actually challenge an entire army," the Kyoshi leader exclaimed, "look at you two; there's just no way that that's going to happen."

"except," said Taki, "not only is it going to happen, but we're going to get out of here alive, since unlike all of you blokes, we've actually had decent training. I'll personally make sure I cut your little frame into pieces myself, girl."

"Well; well; well;" said the Kyoshi Warrior leader, finally able to connect where she had seen Taki's face before, "if it isn't our old friend Taki Masahiro; we wondered where you ran off to."

"That's Taki Alesha to you, girl," Taki replied with a witty tone, "You see, I actually have life skills to. I was able to find myself a man."

"So we gathered," said a male voice; they turned slightly to see that it was the leader of the Fire Soldier division;

"Alesha," he exclaimed, "Cheng Alesha: the man who betrayed us as well; Wow; traitor and traitor attract, huh?"

"Precisely," Cheng replied proudly, "we decided to betray The Order because we know which side is going to win the war; and it certainly isn't The Order if they have losers like you two commanding their armies."

"Cheng Alesha and Taki Masahiro," the man replied, laughing again, "and so I suppose little miss avatar taught you a thing or two?"

"More than that," Taki replied, "she taught us how to get a life. That's why we're married and you're not."

"It's also why we're going to be alive after this is all said and done and you're not," Cheng added, and the two of them leered.

The Kyoshi Warrior aimed a blow at Taki, but Taki's reflexes were too quick, and she ducked.

"Ready when you are," said Cheng to his enemies, but he was actually talking to Taki, who caught his gist and nodded. They both jumped up and hit the ground, Cheng sending a huge blast of flame outwards and Taki sending out a fault line, which blasted a hole in the enemy ranks. Using this to their advantage, Cheng and Taki tore past them in an attempt to put some distance between them.

This was going to be a game of hide-and-seek-and-snipe if things went the way Cheng and Taki hoped. Luckily, both of them were swift, lithe, and nimble, for they did not have as much clothing, let alone armor, as the Fire Nation and Kyoshi Warriors, who were dressed in the thick clothing of their uniforms. They took off into the trees, neither one letting the other out of his or her sight.

From The Order's point of view, Cheng and Taki had all but disappeared. Naturally, they split into decent-sized groups and spread out to cover more ground, generally throwing attacks out whenever they thought they saw something move.

Cheng and Taki had retreated into a tree by this time, though they wished that they could have had a little more to cover themselves with; be it more clothing or some armor. Nevertheless, they were getting passed by, and so they smirked.

"Shall we," Taki whispered, looking at Cheng

"Aye," Cheng replied, and made a fireball on his hand, which he shaped into something thin and sharp. Taki jerked her hand upward, bringing a rock in the form of several knives up. They were going to snipe their enemies from their location until they noticed.

The Order of the Avatar Slayer might have heavily outnumbered The Avatar Guard, but compared to the experience that some of the veteran members of The Avatar Guard had, The Order were simply amateurs. Additionally, those who were able to join The Avatar Guard's core force had become very powerful because of the training that they were able to put themselves through, since they had The Four Benders, who were always willing to teach anyone something new.

Cheng and Taki were able to direct their projectiles in such a manner that it made them look like they were coming from all sides. Nonetheless, eventually they were found, and so they jumped. Water, earth and fire from The Order's armies and attacks came out flying at them, and they had to jump, flip, dodge, or out-bend their enemies to avoid taking a hit, something that they had both so far been successful at doing.

[The Kyoshi Warriors were sometimes benders as well, and had all nationalities (The Avatar Guard had a few airbending Kyoshi Warriors, but since the Air Nomads had chosen to stay out of the war as much as possible, these were rare), and so to see a Kyoshi Warrior who was a waterbender, and earthbender or a firebender was not uncommon.]

Cheng and Taki seemed to complement each other when it came to their fighting styles. It might have been because they always trained together, and learned to play off of each other's moves, but whatever it was, it was proving to be effective against the much less experienced Fire Nation Soldiers and Kyoshi Warriors. They both may not have been very high-ranked by official standards and ranks, but they were among some of the best fighters of their kind.

Cheng and Taki were both on a roll, though they figured that by now they were lost, as they had no idea where their camp was. Every time an attack was thrown at them, they countered it, as countering had become their specialty. This was also why they were the ones to flee, and the ones to take the defensive.

The enemy soldiers, most of which just seemed like people The Order had recruited by telling them to join the war, were not aware of their destructive skills until too late. This only intensified after Cheng and Taki were able to respectively get hold of a steel sword and a pair of brass Kyoshi fans. Taki smirked, and as they waited to be found again, she began sharpening the fans she had found even more than they were. They weren't as razor-sharp as hers were, and the sword the Cheng got was not as sharp as the one he had, but they improvised nonetheless.

"Play time's over," they both said simultaneously, jumping out right as they were about to be seen anyways. Brandishing their weapons, they charged, also shooting rocks and flames in every direction with no regard to what they were hitting. Having no other allies except each other had that one advantage.

They had taken the offensive, since with the combined might of their now excellent bending skills and their already incredible weapon skills, The Order's armies were no match. Granted, these were not the best armies The Order had, [they were about average] but the fact that these two elite warriors were holding their ground was amazing.

They eventually killed off enough of them that they began to retreat. Cheng and Taki's new targets were the Fire Soldier leader and the Kyoshi leader respectively. They eventually came across them, as they had been looking for Cheng and Taki as well.

"Well," said Taki, giggling, "it's just us now. Shall we dance?"

These two were much more experienced than their soldiers, but Cheng and Taki still outdid them. Their constant leering and positive, calm attitudes helped anger their opponents, who began strategizing less and trying to go berserk more.

Fire and earth was flying both ways, Cheng and Taki frantically but cheerily dodging them or trying to counter the attacks. When all was said and done, Taki suddenly spun around and using the brass Kyoshi fans she had acquired and one swift fell stroke from them, she had removed the head of her enemy.

Cheng, Taki, and the Fire Solider leader all stopped and looked. However, in that split-second of pausing, Cheng spun his sword and around and whacked off the head of his enemy as well.

"Well," he said, "I guess that's that. Let's go find our stuff."

"Alright then," Taki replied, taking Cheng's hand. Neither of them had taken any blows, and they had killed a good couple hundred or so enemies. They cleaned the blood off them selves in a nearby stream and then made their way back to their camp, which they eventually found.

Back at the base a day or two later, Zakura was reading a central Earth Kingdom war report to herself when she suddenly burst out laughing hysterically.

"What's the matter," Iresu, Zeruda, and Tenoko asked her, all of whom had been nearby and wondered why a war report made her laugh.

"Get this," said Zakura, reading aloud, "according to our Zuroc Sensei near the small village west of Fengtai; they report that The Order reports losing over half of the their 84th and 106th divisions to a strange couple running around in their underthings. This couple was identified as the Order traitors Cheng Alesha and Taki Masahiro, who apparently are now married."

This even got Iresu and Zeruda laughing. Granted, only Zakura knew even half of what Cheng and Taki did during their alone time, but everyone in the base knew that they were crazy for each other, and that finding them in their underthings should a person barge into their room would not be an uncommon occurrence.

"Ha-ha," Tenoko said, also laughing hysterically, "That was probably one heck of a humiliating defeat for The Order. I mean: to lose almost 2 whole divisions of their armies to a crazy skin-showing couple like them; that's gotta be a serious blow to their pride."

"You know it," Zakura replied, also laughing, "maybe that was why I was so interested in them... they must have complemented each other well, like they did when they trained. Still, that sucks for The Order. That had to have been one heck of A Blow To their Pride."


	60. Chapter 60: Now We Must Fight

Chapter 60: Now We Must Fight

Zakura had decided that they should march westward and invade The Order's Kyoshi Warrior base and massacre as many of them as they could before they got out and attacked. The many Zuroc Sensei that were the scouts and reporters for The Avatar Guard said that they were actually planning an invasion of Fengtai.

"We can meet up with Cheng and Taki if we intercept them before they reach Fengtai," said Ryuka, "they will likely expect something though, what with the likes of Zhin and Tu-Sung on their sides. The Order has some cunning people as well."

"Zhin and Tu-Sung are indeed expecting us," said a voice, and they turned to see a Zuroc Sensei behind them. It was a female, and she removed her hood. It was Zeruda.

"You never told us you were a Zuroc Sensei," said Tenoko,

"The purpose of a Zuroc Sensei," said Zeruda "is to be like Avatar Zuroc—to only be seen when desired."

"I see," said Iresu, "so what do you know about Zhin and Tu-Sung,"

"Everything," Zeruda replied; "from the rumors of The Warrior of the Black Hand being present to the division numbers that will be at that spot. Tenoko, I would advise you to deploy the 38th, 32nd, and 41st divisions of your troops. This is going to be a large scale battle that might enable us to acquire The Order's Kyoshi Warrior base should we succeed."

"I've contacted my forces through various means," said Tenoko, "and have also included Divisions 42, 30, and 31."

"30 and 31," Zeruda exclaimed, "how were you able to get news to them so swiftly?

"Let's just say that I have connections in several places," Tenoko replied, chuckling, "surely you as a Zuroc Sensei would understand, correct?"

"Aye," Zeruda replied, "I suppose all that matters is that the job gets done. Iresu, have you done anything regarding your troops?"

"Aye," Iresu replied, "I was able to even nab my brother's veteran groups, divisions 66 and 67. With them are also the 63rd, 64th, and 65th as well."

"Very good," said Zeruda, "and The Secret Service has done its job. Now, Avatar, the rest is up to you and your gang."

"Really now," said Ryuka, a smirk spreading across his face, "I surely would have thought that you, Zeruda, a Zuroc Sensei would have thought of this piece a little sooner."

"What are you talking about," Zeruda exclaimed,

"Two glorious words, folks," said Ryuka proudly, "Division 79."

"Now you're speaking our language," said Iresu, Zeruda, and Tenoko simultaneously; even The Four Benders grinned.

"I guess I was wrong about you, Ryuka," said Alzar, "you really are working for the betterment of The Avatar Guard."

"Of course," Ryuka replied, "just don't catch me on an off day and I won't jump down your throat. I mean: about that one time—I have nothing to say. I have no excuse and all that I shall say on the matter is that I apologize. That is all."

Alzar smiled, "so there is some good in the iron man," she said, chuckling, and true to his word, Ryuka said nothing, but he did smile slightly.

"So," said Ryuka, looking at everyone around him, "how long do you think it'll take you clowns to pack up and get over there?" everyone laughed.

The next day, everyone was ready. The Foxx Family and the Meisha family (except for Zuki, Meili, and Sanaki) stayed back and were going to watch over the base. Zuki would have also stayed, but, curious to see where Meili was going, she wound up following her, and therefore wound up with the group.

They didn't mind her, because Zuki was unquestionably obedient if she understood a person's instructions. Since Meili was an expert at communicating with Zuki (only falling short of Zuki's husband Cho Ling) Zuki was not hard to manage like Iresu had suspected. (She had only suspected it because she first saw Zuki in The Underground when Meili had freed her.)

By nightfall they wound up finding a little camp, where Cheng and Taki were (luckily) not doing anything private (at the moment).

"What ho," Taki exclaimed upon seeing all her friends appear, "were you expecting to catch Cheng and I in the act or something?"

Zakura laughed. "I might have been," she said, smirking, "but no, in reality, we came because The Order knows that we're coming for them. They are going to be setting up heavy defenses around this area and are likely going to try and have some close in around us."

"So you led us to a battlefield," Cheng exclaimed,

"Aye, pretty much," Zakura replied straightforwardly. Times have changed. It wasn't like this when I came here. But aye, trust me, I wouldn't have sent you two here if I had known. Anyways, I heard about your conquest; nice job."

"Thanks," said Taki, looking around at their company. Everyone that Taki and Cheng had befriended at the base was present.

"We plan to march on them tomorrow," said Ryuka, who as the formulator of this operation, "sorry that it had to be this abrupt. Surely you two understand it though."

"Of course," Taki replied, "it just seems so sudden."

"Well," said Zeruda, "the Order must have been keeping this under impossibly tight wraps for word of it to have not gotten out sooner. Nonetheless, here we are, and now we must fight."

Naturally, they all knew that it would be a short night, and so even Cheng and Taki went to sleep. The only ones up were Zakura, Iresu, Zeruda, and Royota. Royota glanced at Zakura, trying to decode her expression, but to no avail.

"What are you thinking about," he asked, curious to know, and determined to find out, despite Zakura's stubbornness. Surprisingly though, he didn't even have to use any nudging.

"Just this war," Zakura replied, "surely we were seen by at least one Order Zuroc Sensei, so they'll know that I'm here. They may not know which of us the avatar is; but they'll know that the avatar is here. I wonder how this will affect who comes with them,"

"You worry that your family will appear here?" Iresu asked,

"Aye," Zakura replied, "would I fight them—or rather, would I have the strength to fight them if they threatened me or my friends?"

"Whatever happens out there tomorrow," said Zeruda, "just remember, that you have friends willing to die for you and the cause which we as a group support. We support you, avatar Zakura—to the day we die."

"And of course, it's not like I'm sitting on my butt while my followers do all the work," Zakura replied, chuckling, "no, I fight for my friends."

"Of course," Iresu chuckled, "you may not think this, but you're an honorable woman, Zakura. There are many people who look up to you and not just because you're the avatar."

"Hmm," Zakura said, shrugging, "I suppose you're right. But anyway, I'm gonna go get me some shut-eye. Good night, y'all;"

The next morning, Zakura noticed several Avatar Guard members who looked distinctly different than what they usually did. Everyone was decked out for battle: Malak and Maric looked like young Water Tribe Warriors; Sanaki looked like a bright red Zuroc Sensei; Meili and Vigo looked like Earth Kingdom warriors; Kimiko looked almost like a warrior princess of old; clad in red and gold.

A surprising site though was an aged Kyoshi Warrior. Zakura had to actually ask if she knew her before the woman revealed her self.

"It's Koara, you nut," the Kyoshi warrior said, laughing, "Once a Kyoshi Warrior, always a Kyoshi Warrior. My days are far from finished. I'm going to fight until the day I die."

Zakura laughed. "I never understood you, grandma," she said, laughing [though Koara was not Zakura's grandma—Zakura was simply making that statement directed at Koara's age];

Another unusual site was Mulan. Her hair was done in a bizarre spiraling pattern that Zeruda commented reminded her of Yang.

"Yang," Mulan exclaimed, "who's that?"

"Xin Shing's wife," Zeruda replied, "you'll know her if you see her."

Of course, Mulan was not emulating Yang's style; rather, it was a hairstyle that female Airbenders donned when they went to war. Mulan also had braces on her arms, and was wearing baggy pants instead of her robe. She had braces around her shins as well, and a thick belt with a large Air Nomad insignia on it. Her arms, head, and feet were bare.

Other than Tenoko being barefoot for some unexplainable reason [Zakura did note that she saw her drinking the previous evening] everyone else was in their everyday clothes. Of course, Cheng, Royota, Lehran, Taki, and Zakura to an extent wore warrior's clothes all the time anyways, so basically the only ones who were not "dressed for war" were The Four Benders.

The Avatar Guard met up with their armies and marched towards The Order of the Avatar Slayer's Kyoshi Warrior base, as it was called. This was going to be a huge battle, with hundreds of casualties likely on both sides. Zakura's thoughts were occupied with her family, and Sokka and Katara I were talking about The Dark Warrior. This also occupied Zakura's mind. This was going to be huge.

"Scared a little, Zakura?" Tenoko asked,

"Why are you barefoot," Zakura asked, changing the subject. She wasn't scared, but she was a little nervous, but only because she was not keen on her family's reaction if they saw her again;

"I don't know," Tenoko shrugged, "I just felt like it. So, about this battle, what do you think?"

"I'm not sure," Zakura replied, still marching, "but there's no turning back now. Now We Must Fight."


	61. Chapter 61: You Know Nothing About Me

Chapter 61: You Know Nothing About Me

It was not long before the armies of The Order and The Avatar Guard were facing each other in opposite sides of the battlefield. Both sides were observing the opposite side to see who exactly was there.

"Mercy above," Maric exclaimed, accidentally tightening his grip on his nervous sister's hand, "it's her."

He pointed to a distant figure in The Order's ranks. It was Ayumi, and with her was Orzon.

"Hmm," said Tenoko, who was standing on a boulder next to Zakura, and they were looking out over the armies to see The Order's ranks.

"Looks like I'll be meeting some old friends again; and Zak, you might not want to look now, but that looks like your family if I've ever seen them."

"You've seen my family before," Zakura exclaimed,

"No," said Tenoko, "but they look just like you—sort of."

Zakura gasped. "It is them," she exclaimed, "this could become ugly."

The Order seemed just as prepared as The Avatar Guard. Also in their ranks were Ju Long, Zhin, Tu-Sung, an airbender that was most likely Yang, Orzon, Ayumi, Zhang, Zao Lin, Michiko, Fukuda, and several others that various members of The Avatar Guard recognized. In fact, the only prominent figure that no one saw there was Xin Shing.

"Shinon," Alzar snapped, grabbing his arm and pointing off in the distance,  
"it's them—the ones who poisoned us—Jing Tao; Ya Zhu!"

Shinon looked where Alzar was pointing (Alzar's sense was how she singled them out in the first place) and just like she said, it was the couple responsible for poisoning Alzar and Shinon before their trip to the North Pole.

Naturally, Alzar was fuming, and Shinon wasn't looking very much happier. The burning desire for revenge from various members of both groups meeting old rivals and enemies only heated things up, and moments later, the battle started and both sides collided in an epic sense of warfare.

Many of the warriors were benders, and so water, earth, and fire were everywhere. There were also several airbenders as well, including some that were part of The Order. However, for the most part, the airbenders had stayed out of this entire war. The battle raged; elements and weapons colliding, blood being spilt and everything. The only thing that would be stopping this war would be the elimination of enough people on one side—or so they thought.

A sudden, huge burst of red lightning struck right in front of a spot where Yang, Orzon and Ayumi were about to collide with Royota, Tenoko and Zakura. Everyone turned to see who had shot the bolt of lightning. To the surprise of some, [others had expected this] it was The Warrior of the Black Hand. The battle did not just stop, it ceased. No one knew who her next target would be.

Yang seemed to be leading The Order, while Zakura was leading The Avatar Guard of course. As a result, the Dark Warrior was walking towards them. They brought their guards up, but The Dark Warrior did not look like she was going to attack. She stepped up to them and put her hands out.

"If any of you value your lives you will cease this fighting immediately." She said, "Otherwise, you might be next."

Her fingers crackled when she said this, and she awaited their reactions. Zakura, Royota, and Tenoko did not need to say anything, for Yang took over. She seemed to have a sinister demeanor just like that of her husband Xin Shing. She did have a hairstyle similar to Mulan's warrior hairdo, and her clothing was similar as well. Her eyes and face though, were much more malicious than Mulan's.

"So," she said, "The Warrior of the Black Hand thinks she can just waltz in and put an end to this war with a few bolts of lightning? Don't make me laugh, girl; you never had a chance against the likes of us, or even against the likes of that woman."

She pointed at Zakura, but Zakura felt like this was a slander to her, so she spoke up;

"Really now, woman," said Zakura, "that's the first truthful statement that you've said all day. After all: no one stands a chance against the avatar herself."

Zakura's identity was out. Incidentally, her family was close by, and they watched as she proved her identity.

"Zakura," said Zao Lin in a seductive tone, "it was you the whole time then; to think that this whole war is simply against my rebellious child?"

"You have no right to call me mother," Zakura said sternly, "not after your only goal in life has been to kill me."

"You only aid The Order's fears," said Zhang, "you are the arrogant type who WOULD abuse your power; my own daughter; the avatar..."

"Like I said to your wife," said Zakura harshly, "you have no right to call me father. As for abusing my powers; who's to say that I won't? That's why I actually have people here that know how I operate. You two, failed the most miserably at it. Luckily, I serve a higher authority."

"You do," Yang exclaimed, but she wasn't the only one; Royota and Tenoko had both said the exact same thing.

"That business is my own."

"Hmm," the Dark Warrior remarked, putting her fingers on her helmet where her chin would be if she took it off, "you too then?"

"Aye," Zakura replied, "and in all honesty, I want this war over just as much as you do."

Yang, however, was through with the small talk. However, The Dark Warrior opposed this.

"Keep your trap shut, woman," she snapped, "I'm not finished."

"Ha," Yang laughed, "you really think I would listen to you—the woman who is too scared to show her face, and so instead she hides behind the face of a once great figure? Ha; you are too much of a coward to do anything else but abuse your powers."

"Don't," said The Dark Warrior, pulling off her helmet, "you call me a coward ever again, woman."

The revelation of The Dark Warrior's identity came as a huge shock to everyone. Some people in fact were horrified when they saw her face. Katara I and Sokka were among them.

The Dark Warrior was none other than Katara Altina II. Her scraggly dark brown hair, distinct, golden eyes and stony face were unmistakable.

"Now tell me," she said, still retaining the firmness in her low voice that she had had under her helmet, "can any of you imagine what it would be like to have more power than you could believe? Or perhaps what it would be like to have to consistently train and gain control to always get better, knowing that a failure to do so would result in said power consuming you alive in a slow and painful death? Now imagine that the person who you loved and cared for the most; the person who could best help you with that problem; getting ripped from you at a young age, and that it happened suddenly and without reason."

"That's amusing," Yang shrugged, "what's your point?"

"My point is," said Katara "is that this war is futile. Fighting will get you all as people nowhere."

"And do you really think that any of us are going to listen to a little girl like you?"

Katara laughed. "Woman," she said, "you have just stumbled right into my trap. Why else do you think I donned the armor of The Dark Warrior? I wanted to be feared. Most people wouldn't fear a 15-year-old girl. However, a notorious figure like The Warrior of the Black Hand would be feared, especially since I could imitate him very well.

I did some research in the Fire Nation Palace about him; learned who he was, what he did, and how he moved and acted. I'll give credit to Orzon and Ayumi for letting me stay with them for that."

Ayumi actually looked furious. It was likely that she felt insulted that she had been outdone like that by a 15-year-old girl. Nonetheless, Katara continued.

"With that all said, just remember: I serve neither The Avatar Guard nor The Order of the Avatar Slayer. I will also warn that whichever side is not fighting for a good cause will eventually lose everything. In the meantime, I'm going to sit this fight out. I'll always be one step ahead of you all, for I am The Warrior of the Black Hand. Farewell."

"Who said we were through here," Yang asked her,

"I did," Katara replied, "so I suggest you can it before I shoot some lightning at you. The only one I'm not going to kill is Orzon. Now with that said, I'm gone. Farewell."

Katara went about 300 yards away from the battle onto a hill and sat down to "watch" the battle. A few moments after she had left, they all started fighting again.

"What's wrong, Ayumi," Tenoko leered, as these two fought, "are you mad that you just got done in by a 15-year-old girl?"

Ayumi was mad, but she wasn't letting Tenoko's taunts throw her fighting style off. She was swift and powerful. She kept Tenoko on her feet, but seemed to be aiming for Tenoko's bare feet in hope of burning them. Nonetheless, even at 43, Tenoko was still very fast.

Katara continued to watch the fight, and she actually began smirking. She really was always one step ahead of everyone else, and once all was said and done, she would come back and explain how. Her mission though, was clear. Like Zakura, she too served a higher authority, and the fact that no one knew very much about her would work to her advantage. She laughed.

"Times have changed," she muttered, likely referring to herself gaining control over her power, "and You Know Nothing About Me."


	62. Chapter 62: Ayumi And Tenoko

Chapter 62: Ayumi and Tenoko

The battle raged on, neither said gaining the upper hand, and common soldiers getting cut down on both sides. The more prominent figures were still locked in fierce combat. Ayumi and the barefoot Tenoko were among one of the focal points of the battle, the fierce firebender waging an all-out barrage of attacks on the calm [and possibly slightly drunken] waterbender.

Even clad in her billowing Fire Lady's robes, Ayumi was still mercilessly swift, her long, black hair and billowing robes making her look slightly more imposing, especially when she jumped—something she did quite often.

Tenoko has some unorthodox waterbending styles similar to Maric and Malak, her Dragmire Flips serving her well.

Ayumi was fiercely shooting fire of all colors at Tenoko who spiraled, flipped, dodged, blocked or countered them to avoid taking damage.

"Are we through practicing," Tenoko asked off-handedly, "I mean: you've been trying to hit me for quite some time now?"

"Perhaps you should try fighting me," said Ayumi, and she actually ceased her attacks and stood there. An unfortunate Avatar Guard soldier or two thought that she would be easy picking because of this, and learned the hard way that she wasn't.

"Look at yourself," said Ayumi, noting Tenoko's awkward gangling stance, "it's no wonder we were able to drive you out. Though your children seem to be able to hold their grounds as well as you do."

"What are you talking about, woman," Tenoko exclaimed, starting to fight back, "I might be drunk, but I'm not stupid."

Ayumi laughed a genuine laugh. Her sinister demeanor made it sound ominous. "You of all people don't even know? Think of it, you idiot: why do you think those kids have the same last name as you?"

"Maric and Malak," Tenoko exclaimed, "what are you leading to?"

"come, come, foolish child," said Ayumi, ceasing her fighting, blocking Tenoko's last few moves and then taking her hand, leading her away from the fray, "surely you of all people would know the story of your own children? I guess I was wrong."

Once they were far away enough from the battle to know that there wouldn't be random people trying to attack them, Ayumi sat down beside Tenoko, her soft, pale hand still clasped over Tenoko's darker hand, which was covered by the fingerless gloves she wore. Tenoko curled her toes in the grass and seemed to be relaxing.

"Good, good," said Ayumi, "calm down; don't let the heat of this battle get to you in the head. You never know who might be plotting against you. Anyways, those kids... Maric and Malak are their names apparently, are yours. Maybe it comes from being the leader of a Nation—something you failed miserably at.

Anyways, I knew the name of the family that found your babies in the Water Tribe Palace. They've been done in by Michiko's men, but obviously the kids survived. They've got your eyes, Tenoko—and your moves.

Perhaps if you spent more time looking up current events when they're, um, current—and stopped being a blithering drunkard, you'd be aware that your own children have been right under your very nose for over 14 years. Tenoko, I even know what you originally named them."

"So what's your point," Tenoko asked, unfazed by Ayumi's insults,

"My point is," said Ayumi "is that you are an idiot. If you were smarter you'd probably realize that this is a trap."

"No it isn't," said Tenoko, looking right into Ayumi's eyes, "and do you know how I know that: because instead of spending my time in the affairs of others, I actually went into the world and made a name for myself. I left fate in charge of my children if they were alive, and it seems that it's done well in raising them."

"Hmph" Ayumi shrugged, "I thought a mother was supposed to at least recognize her own children. I guess you proved me wrong again, Tenoko Dragmire. You were always full of surprises."

"You never fail to impress me, Lady Ayumi Zhaoka," said Tenoko, "it's amazing how respected you are. Tell me, is it fear or extortion that is the drive of your followers?"

Ayumi smirked, "that would be my little secret, wouldn't it?"

"Aye," Tenoko replied, "similar to that time when Katara burned your clothes off down to your underthings the first time you fought?"

Ayumi went red, both from anger and embarrassment, and looked ready to strike suddenly at Tenoko, who just chuckled.

"Nothing's changed, my good friend," Tenoko replied, getting her hand out of Ayumi's and patting her back, "we're still the same rivals we were since childhood. I'm glad to see you still don't ever deny things that you know to be true. I admire that, Fire Lady."

"So I get showed up by a 15-year-old girl and you go 14 years without knowing your children were under your nose," said Ayumi, chuckling, "I guess an old score gets settled then."

"I suppose so," Tenoko chuckled, "things are always interesting with you around, Lady Ayumi. It's a pity you were always against the avatar."

"I suppose it's a flaw," said Ayumi, shrugging and attempting to stand up, but Tenoko pulled her back down.

"Come, sit," she said, "why must you leave so soon? You got me interested. My little Kemet and Komae are named Maric and Malak. What else do you know about my little babies?"

Ayumi's smile widened. "I see your tactic, Chief Tenoko Dragmire," she said, "You are turning my trap against me. Very well; if you wish to capture me, then so be it. Perhaps though we should continue fighting before I feign defeat though—it would look more believable."

Tenoko laughed. "You never fail to amuse me, Ayumi," she said, "even when I was 18 and you were 24; you were still my strong rival, always just a little more powerful than I was."

There was in fact a 6-year age difference between these two; therefore, if Tenoko was 43, Ayumi was 49.

"Are you going to let me stand now," Ayumi asked, "or am I going to have to suffer the humiliation of you pulling my robe off first?"

Tenoko laughed, and Ayumi did as well.

"I suppose if you wanted it off I could arrange that," Tenoko laughed, "after all, you seem to like it loose; but no. I had no intention of pulling it off. You can get up whenever you want. You're the Fire Lady. I'm no one but an old Water Tribe chief that's too drunk to even know my own children when they walk up to me."

"Then as a leader I command you to continue fighting me, especially if you ever do plan on capturing me. After all, I'm not going to go down without a fight."

"Ayumi, please," said Tenoko, laughing, "you've always ousted me power-wise. Why should this be any different? If anything I'll be at your mercy."

"I guess we shall see," said Ayumi, getting into position and then striking,

"Indeed," said Tenoko, blocking her attack and lashing towards Ayumi's ankles with her water whips. She jumped made a fireball on her fist that she sent crashing down at the ground towards Tenoko's feet. It sent a wave of fire towards her that crept over the ground, but Tenoko jumped over it, swinging her whip to extinguish the flames.

She then turned them into huge projectiles, which she launched at Ayumi. Ayumi flipped over one, but lost her footing on the other, falling backwards, cursing at her mistake. Tenoko immediately was over her, her hands covered in ice spikes.

"You went easy, on me," said Tenoko, smirking, pointing one of her ice-spiked hands at Ayumi's face; the other at her heart;

"You don't know that," Ayumi replied, "after all, how could I have feigned that fall? That hurt. You know me, Tenoko. If I didn't even deny that humiliating moment with Katara, why would I try to deny this?"

"Hmm," Tenoko said, thinking, not letting Ayumi get a chance to pull a fast one; "you bring a good point up. I guess you leave me no choice..."

Tenoko suddenly dropped her ice spikes, letting them melt into water over Ayumi's face and chest, soaking her. That was a brief distraction, and it gave Tenoko enough time to slip her hands around Ayumi's neck, passing her out.

"Dethroning the Fire Lady should not have been this easy," he thought to herself, hoisting Ayumi's unconscious form over her shoulders. Tenoko was a stealthy woman, and was able to slip even past Orzon, who Tenoko noticed was looking around for his wife. Tenoko took Ayumi back to the Avatar Guard's base camp and chained her down at her neck, so that thrashing would cut into her throat. She then left and returned to the battlefield.

Unfortunately for Tenoko, Iresu had seen her and Ayumi talking, and so she stopped Tenoko as well, though she was earthbending against her enemies, and was very skilled.

"That would be my business now, wouldn't it," Tenoko replied after Ayumi asked what she had been doing, "don't you worry about it. Let's finish this fight."

"Where is Ayumi?" Iresu asked,

"Around," Tenoko replied, blasting ice spikes at an unfortunate Order soldier, "what, am I her keeper?"

"never mind," said Iresu, still blasting rocks and slabs of earth outwards, her stance constantly changing, "just fight..."

"Of course," Tenoko replied, and she joined the fight again, which seemed to be slowing down.

Tenoko had known Ayumi for many years, and naturally, Ayumi had known Tenoko for many years. These two were rivals in a way, but ironically, were also friends to a degree. Tenoko did not know how Ayumi knew about her children, and Ayumi did not know how Tenoko knew about her rift with Katara. Nonetheless, these mysteries were all part of the games played by Ayumi and Tenoko.


	63. Chapter 63: We've Got A Battle To Win

Chapter 63: We've Got A Battle To Win

Granted, there was still plenty of action during the time Tenoko and Ayumi had gone off. Reyson found himself in a hard situation surrounded by rouge Order earthbenders. He may not have had very much actual combat experience, but he had had plenty of training.

"What's this," one of them exclaimed, "looks like we found ourselves the little prince Lord Xin Shing spoke of."

Zeruda had done well in keeping Reyson's existence a secret from The Order, but after recent events and Zakura's new policy regarding younger benders, she decided to let him use his own judgment.

One thing was certain: Reyson was no coward. He may have had a sheltered life, but he had his own policies and life lessons.

"When the time comes, just act," he thought to himself, and then he thought of Malak and Maric, who he saw not very far away, locked in fierce combat against other enemies.

"You have me surrounded," said Reyson, "but prince Reyson is not about to step down and accept defeat. You'll have to take me down kicking and screaming, for I am the rightful heir to the Fire Nation throne."

"We'll see about that, pretty boy" said one of the earthbenders: a gruff looking female who reminded Reyson slightly of Zakura, though Zakura's face was friendlier looking.

"Pretty boy, huh," said Reyson, shrugging and taking a step backwards, "if I recall, pretty boys don't do this,"

His reaction was a huge blast of lightning that knocked two of the earthbenders off their feet and left them unconscious. Reyson used this gap to make a break for it, but one of them made a rock jut out of the ground to trip him on the way. They thought he was down, but he wasn't. Reyson, right as he fell, put his hands out, landed on them, and using the momentum from his fall, he pushed himself into a handstand.

"Gotcha," he laughed, doing the splits in the air for a second [just to show off] before flipping back onto his feet.

The earthbenders however, were joined by several firebenders, and so Reyson was outnumbered about 13 to 1. They were determined to take him down, since they knew that he was the rightful heir to the throne and wanted that possibility of him acquiring it when he was older removed.

Reyson was a swift boy, and was very nimble like his mother. Zeruda, being a Zuroc Sensei, had taught Reyson many of her moves, and therefore he was quick, nimble, and light on his feet. He had also adopted some of the moves used in the Dragmire Flips, and was using them to his advantage, spiraling through the air and actually making his enemies take a step or two backwards.

The only reason these warriors were being intimidated by a 16-year-old boy was because they knew that he was a prodigy, and in this day and age a prodigious bender was always marked as highly dangerous. However, they were not about to let him overtake them; they were just more wary around him. After all, there were very few people fighting who were under the age of 18 (more like under the age of 21) and so they figured that if there was a bender in his or her teen years on the battlefield, that they were prodigies.

Repeated blasts of earth and fire came flying at Reyson, but he was able to nimbly avoid many of them, sometimes reflecting the fireballs, other times using the walls of earth as platform to jump onto and then off of as they passed.

However, all it would take would be one misstep and they would hit him, what with all the attacks they were throwing at him, and sure enough, that time came. He was painfully hit in the middle of his chest on his left side, causing him to stagger. He fell onto one of his knees, trying to recover his breath.

Immediately, his enemies closed in around him, but they didn't know that they had closed in on two people, not one. A little red blur had shot into the fray right as the earthbenders and firebender surrounded Reyson. He looked up to see that it was Sanaki, and she had taken a fighting stance, planting her bare feet firmly on the ground.

"You're not going to hurt him," she said, and her cute, tiny voice made them laugh at her.

"Awww," said one of the men, "does the little girl want to play with her boyfriend?"

Ironically, Sanaki was a year older than Reyson, but her small size made her look younger sometimes. Nonetheless, it was clear that she was well-developed despite her size. She was just short and thin.

"I'm 17, thank you," she said, "and he's not my boyfriend; just a good friend I've made in the past. Now get out of our way. Otherwise you're going to have to go home knowing you just got beaten by a blind girl."

"Luckily," said a seductive voice in the crowd, which happened to belong to a single waterbender, "I know how you blind folk work."

Immediately he shot icy blasts at Sanaki's hands and feet, not only rooting her to the ground but also hindering her "sight". Reyson was still too short on breath to attack [for firebending was based on breathing] and so they seemed helpless.

However, this was Sanaki. She always had another trick up her sleeve. She acknowledged this as well.

"Think," said Sanaki, "with clothes as baggy as mine, you'd think that I'd have a trick up my sleeve. Well, I do. I was once called a Blind Dragon. Here is why."

Sanaki spewed fire from her mouth at her enemies, and then at her hands and feet, freeing them from the icy grip which they had been locked in moments before. With her hands and feet free, she took a deep breath again and pointed two of her fingers at the waterbender.

"Prepare to either die or get out of my way," she said, hoping that her move would work like she had trained so hard for,

Reyson stood up and watched Sanaki. She was blasted backwards a few feet, (and wasn't hurt, but was massaging her rear on which she had landed) but not before she had shot a bolt of red lightning at her opponents, taking them down.

Sanaki Foxx was also a prodigy, and she, like Alzar, Reyson, Zeruda, Ayumi, Orzon, and Katara, was able to wield red lightning. It was only naturally learned by literal descendants of the legendary Sanaki Li Chan, and since Sanaki Foxx was the only one in her family who had ever been able to use it, she understood at once why she had been named Sanaki after she had first discovered she could wield it.

"I am a literal descendant of the great Sanaki Li Chan," said Sanaki proudly, "and you failed to heed my warning."

She turned to Reyson and helped him up.

"Let's get out of here," she said, and took off to a safer place on the battlefield [where they wouldn't get surrounded].

In the meantime, Maric and Malak were showing their enemies just what they were able to do when teamed up. They were fighting Michiko and Fukuda, and, like Ayumi, they knew of the twins' relationship to Tenoko.

"You know that blithering drunken Water Chief," Michiko asked, seductively, as she and Fukuda walked around the twins who were both back-to-back, "well, she's your real mother."

"What," Malak gasped, "Tenoko?"

"I spoke clearly," said Michiko gently, does this fact bother you?"

"Tenoko..." Maric exclaimed, "She's the one who gave birth to us?"

"Think," said Fukuda, "if she was any dumber she wouldn't even remember her own name. She obviously didn't love you two enough, for she didn't even recognize her own children."

"She's not our mom," Malak shouted back, her eyes watering; she was clearly not able to accept the sad truth about Tenoko not recognizing them, "we don't even know her."

"You don't have to know her for her to be the one to bear you," said Michiko, "why else do you all have the same eyes—the same moves; the same waterbending talent, even the same NAME?"

Neither Maric nor Malak said anything, but Malak looked ready to cry.

"Face it," said Michiko, "she could care less about you. I doubt she even knows what I just told you. She doesn't know or care who you are."

"That's not true!" Malak bellowed, tears flowing down her face, "you lie, you treacherous monster!"

However, by this time, Tenoko had returned to the battlefield, and contrary to what Michiko had said, she did know this, and she was not about to let this slide.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on my children," she bellowed, smashing through any obstacle that got between her and the 4 waterbenders.

"Ah," said Fukuda, smirking, "the drunken idiot herself arrives."

"You can call me whatever you want," said Tenoko stiffly, "but DO NOT EVER say or think for one moment that I did not love or did not care about my children."

Since Fukuda and Michiko could not effectively surround Maric and Malak [since two people can't surround anyone], Tenoko was able to join them with no difficulty.

"Your mom's here for you," said Tenoko, embracing the two of them, "and she's not going anywhere without you."

However, though sometimes it was hard to tell, Tenoko had her guard up, for she expected an attack from the Order's Water Tribe Chief and/or his wife.

Malak was still sniffling when Tenoko stood the two of them up.

"On your feet, Kemet, Komae," she said,

"What did you call us?" the twins exclaimed,

"My bad," Tenoko replied, "those were the names I gave you before The Order ripped you two away from me 14 years ago. I suppose those can be your middle names now. I'll leave that up to you two. Right now though, let's fight. We've got a Battle to Win."


	64. Chapter 64: Expect The Unexpected

Chapter 64: Expect The Unexpected

Tenoko gave the twins their needed boost of confidence, and they were able to get back up and fight again. Meanwhile though, there was another family having issues. Zakura was facing her parents and her two younger sisters in a 4-on-1. Her sisters may not have been benders, but they were swift and powerful warriors just like Zakura's elder brother had been before he had lost his life to the hands of The Avatar Guard. Because of this, Zakura's sympathy for him was limited.

"Kyomi, Kaoru," said Zakura, chuckling, "you two have grown a bit since I last saw you. Yasuda would be proud."

The four children of the Ishiko family, from eldest to youngest were Yasuda, Zakura, Kyomi, and Kaoru. Yasuda, the eldest child and the only son, was deceased; Zakura was 23, Kyomi was 21, and Kaoru was 19.

"What in blazes happened to you," Kaoru asked, looking at Zakura with a sense of haughty disgust. Zakura had not been as muscular as she was now when she had left home, and her choice of clothing was far from the high-class appearance that her parents and siblings had.

"I became awesome," Zakura replied, her arrogance kicking in. she had no respect for her family, since they were, after all, trying to kill her; I had to. I'm the avatar."

"I never thought that my sister would be the cause of a whole war," Kyomi remarked, "but then again, you were always an unpredictable one. Yasuda was right about you."

"Duh," Zakura replied, "that's why I was scared. Wouldn't you be scared if you found out that you were the person that your family was trying to kill when you were only 7 years old?"

"If you knew," said Kaoru, "how then did you keep it hidden so well? You were never one to keep a secret unless it was important. Surely you didn't know of it at that age."

"I did not," said Zakura, still warding off the huge earthen walls and boulders her parents were launching at her, and blocking the attacks from her sisters, "I didn't learn it for sure until I was 16. There was no way for me to prove it, since I didn't even get anyone to teach me earthbending until The Four Benders came along."

"The Four Benders, huh" Zhang remarked, launching another rock which Zakura smashed with her fist again, "admirable people; pity they had to waste their lives away for the likes of the avatar—the fools."

"Hey," Zakura snapped, using some swift bending skills to get right up to her father's face. She grabbed him by the throat, and the others paused as well, not wanting to give Zakura a reason to attack.

"You can insult me all you want," she snapped, "but do not insult the honor of the four greatest benders to ever live."

Zakura let him go and the moment she did, she was surrounded by a barrage of attacks, even from Zhang, who had wasted no time in snapping back and continuing to attack.

Zhang and Zao Lin were amazing earthbenders, which might have explained why they were mad at Zakura. She was their least favorite child for personal reasons, and to know that she was the only bender out of their children likely angered them. Nonetheless, they had no good reason for disliking Zakura other than that she was the avatar, but at this point, Zakura didn't care either.

"you do realize that I am not trying to kill you," said Zakura after merciless barrages of rocks and knives and swipes of the blades of her sisters, "for if I was, I would not only be lowering myself to your pitiful level, but I also would have invoked the avatar state don't you think?"

"Use your excuses," Kyomi leered, "kill us if you want to,"

"that's the thing," said Zakura, locking Kyomi's feet to the ground with ice, so that Zhang and Zao Lin could not undo her work ,"I don't want to kill you."

Kyomi was met with a swift kick to the face that [naturally] shattered the ice around her feet and sent her flying several feet away where she landed unconscious. Zakura knew that her sister wasn't going to die from it, and so she had no sympathy.

This process was soon about to repeat itself on an angered Kaoru. She was angry that Zakura had just taken down Kyomi, and she tried to retaliate. However, Kaoru, a non-bender, was no match for Zakura, a fully-realized avatar. Even if bending was not an issue, the Ishiko family stood no chance against Zakura, who was also stronger than most men, despite her short size.

Once Kaoru and Kyomi were down and out, Zhang and Zao Lin decided to make sure they were alright.

"We'll finish this later," Zao Lin warned, "prepare your self."

And with that they vanished with Zakura's sisters into the fray.

In the meantime, Vigo was side-by-side with Mulan, and the two of them were dueling against Ju Long and Yang. Mulan soon learned about Vigo's inability to speak, and thus she tried her best to communicate with him. Her airbending skills had increased several-fold since she had last seen her ex-husband, and she figured that if he was going to challenge her that she would accept the challenge.

He actually engaged Vigo in combat, and Mulan took that as her cue to not only help Vigo but also keep Ju Long and Yang at bay. Ju Long noticed Mulan rather quickly as a result.

"So," he said, "here we are, meeting on the field of battle"

"Aye," Mulan replied, "imagine the look on our baby girl's face if she saw her mother and father fighting to the death on this forsaken battlefield"

Ju Long said nothing.

"I suppose by turning against me and threatening not only my life, but the life of our unborn child, that I must fight you," Mulan continued, "and if that is what it shall take, then that is what we shall do."

"Ha," Yang scoffed, "save the small talk. This kid knows how to fight."

She pointed at Vigo, but did so at just the right time to get a slab of earth jammed at her face. She was knocked back, but quickly recovered her stance. She took to the skies but Vigo wasn't blind. He shot rocks up towards the heavens at her, some making their mark.

Her retaliation was fierce, tearing winds that were almost like ice cold knives slicing through Vigo's body. Nonetheless, Vigo was a master earthbender, and it would take a lot more than cutting winds to move the stubborn boy. Vigo was a defensive fighter, and so instead of wasting his energy attacking, he was hoping to wear out his opponent by blocking her moves instead of counterattacking. Some moves though he did counter to his advantage, but this was rare.

In the meantime, Katara's face has spread into a grin as she watched the fighters on both side reduce in numbers and in energy.

"You are all playing right into my hands," she said, smirking, "just like I predicted. I don't even need The Dark Warrior to make things go my way. Like I warned you all—I'm always one step ahead of you."

Of course, no one was there to hear her, but she didn't mind. Things were playing out exactly as she had hoped. However, she had left out one crucial part of her operation—her family; and as the battle started to die down, The Order pulling a premature retreat for seemingly no reason, they finally noticed her. She had since discarded her black armor, and was just clad in her everyday Fire Nation attire.

Katara soon found herself being swept off her feet by her brother, her mother right behind them. The Avatar Guard seemed to be celebrating a victory. The Order must have had something else in mind for abandoning their base this quickly, but at the moment they were going to worry about thing such as casualties and leave the planning to the strategists.

Katara's mother was in tears.

"That..." she exclaimed, "That was you the whole time; all that destruction... Why, Katara... why;"

"I hate this war," Katara cried, "Do you realize what it's done to me—what it's made me become?"

"Katara," said Sokka, who had always been Katara's 'voice of reason' before they were separated, "just calm down. We're here for you again. This was a heavy blow on The Order; losing one of their bases like this. This war won't last much longer."

Katara said nothing. She knew that she was going to get pestered with questions if she went with The Avatar Guard. She sighed.

"I don't want to talk about what I did," she said, "I just want to be alone."

"Well," said Sokka, "we have a whole big Order base that's probably big enough for you to fine a place to be by yourself. Just relax, Katara. It's over for now."

But it was far from over. The Avatar Guard was surprised to find that The Order's Base had been stripped of anything other than things used by the public, so in essence, instead of finding The Order's plans or such, all they had was a semi-clone of their base in Ba Sing Se. additionally, there was the issue of a certain Fire Lady who was chained down at the camp. She was conscious again, but had not moved since Tenoko had captured her and chained her down.

"You," Zakura exclaimed upon seeing her,

"Aye," Ayumi replied, "me. What's your point?"

"What are you doing here?"

"You think I chained myself down? I was captured, you idiot."

"Surely you're not that pathetic; or are you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, Little Miss Avatar," Ayumi leered, "I thought your gang would have taught you by now—Expect The Unexpected."


	65. Chapter 65: The Two Masterminds

Chapter 65: The Two Masterminds

Naturally Ayumi was chained down and heavily watched over. However, she made no resistance during any of this, and was laughing. Either she had been driven insane, or was playing a nasty game with The Avatar Guard. Whatever she was doing, they learned that The Order did not know what it was, for they sent word to Fire Lord Orzon and the rest of The Order telling of Ayumi's capture, and they actually offered ransom for her release. Whatever Ayumi was doing, she was in it by herself. No one was able to figure her out.

"What in blazes does she think she's doing," Zhin exclaimed, as once she had caught word of it, even her tactical genius could not deduct what Ayumi was up to,

"Wouldn't we all like to know," said Orzon, who clearly seemed the most, bothered by this, as it was his wife that was taken.

Naturally, Ayumi refused to tell The Avatar Guard anything.

"What," she said, laughing, "are you going to kill me; torture me? Perhaps kill or torture someone I love? I have no soul, remember?"

"You pull some amusing shenanigans, Ayumi," said Tenoko, laughing, "But I have no idea what you're planning with this one,"

"Which just proves that I'm one step ahead of all of you," she said, laughing, "do what you want with me. You'll never get the secret out."

Most members of The Avatar Guard knew better than to try and challenge Ayumi, and so most of them just stayed away. However, there were two people who were willing to take the challenge. First was Ryuka. Ayumi was chained down onto some sort of large table so she was lying on her back looking up. She was completely calm, and seemed very relaxed, as if she could fall asleep if she wanted.

"Ah," said Ayumi, smiling, "Ryuka is it?"

"Aye," Ryuka replied, "you are quite the annoyance; you know that?"

"Aye," Ayumi replied, "of course, this is coming from the man who does not even have a nationality."

"What are you talking about," Ryuka exclaimed,

"I spoke clearly," Ayumi replied, "neither of your parents were benders; one was from the Earth Kingdom, the other from the Fire Nation. You were born on the seas, and since you're not a bender, you technically have no nationality either."

Ryuka said nothing at first. "What's your point?" he asked,

"My point is," said Ayumi "is that you're inferior. Do you not see it clearly? Non-benders are always inferior."

A series of strange events followed this moment, and summed up, Ayumi's theory was proved, as she did a series of things that made him feel dizzy.

Nonetheless, she sealed her victory. She slid next to him and gently slid her shoes off, and removed the headpiece from her hair. She set them in Ryuka's hands and grinned.

"Tokens of your defeat," she said, smirking; she went towards a bed that was in a corner and laid down there, her back to Ryuka. The bed was nowhere near as nice as the ones she was used to, but apparently Ayumi was tougher than she looked. Nonetheless, Ryuka was through here. He placed Ayumi's shoes on the floor next to her bed and put her headpiece on the nearby nightstand. He felt dizzy, and he too wanted to lie down.

"Dang, that woman's a freak," he muttered to himself, "for all I can see, she's here just to drive us crazy."

For the most part, he was right. This seemed to be Ayumi's intention. They were not going to let her go, for if they did that she would become a dangerous opponent on the battlefield, but when they kept her cooped up, she drove them all crazy through various means, never causing any true harm. There was only one person left for the job—Katara Altina II—the young woman who was always a step ahead of everyone else.

"So what," said Katara, stepping in to see Ayumi; she was still lying on the bed, her back to Katara; "are you just here to annoy us?"

"Aye, that about sums it up," Ayumi replied, "it should have been obvious. I mean: did any of you honestly expect that I was going to bend to your wills once I was captured?"

"Of course not," Katara replied, "and so naturally, either we can keep you here and let you try to annoy us, or we can set you free, make The Order happy, and meet you back on the battlefield."

"So now do you see the double standard," said Ayumi, still curled up comfortably, and she still had not looked at Katara,

"Aye," Katara replied, sitting down, kicking her boots off and putting her bare feet on the table; she began fiddling with her fingerless gloves and the gold-colored braces she wore "you're also trying to find information about The Avatar Guard while you're here."

"Hmm," Ayumi remarked, rolling over and throwing her long, black hair behind her again, "you really are smarter than you look,"

"Of course, it's not up to me to decide," Katara shrugged, "I a neither against The Order nor for them. I serve a higher authority."

"You would not join your family," Ayumi asked, "after all of that searching you would abandon that quest for a higher cause?"

"Aye," Katara replied, "my higher cause involved me finding my family as well. After all, even with all my grand schemes and always being one step ahead of the rest of the world, I'm still just a 15-year-old girl, and with emotions as unstable as mine, I had to satisfy my desire to see my family again, and so I did. I thought of everything, including an unstable teenage girl's emotions."

"And did you ever think of your fame," Ayumi asked her, sitting up, "and where it came from? People knew you not only for your power, but also for the mystery surrounding you. Your name has a distinct reputation, Katara Altina II, as does mine. The reasons are the only difference."

"You're a cunning woman, Ayumi," said Katara; her bangs covered her eyes, and she was not looking at what Ayumi was doing. Incidentally, all she was doing was getting her shoes back on, straightening her robe, and doing up her hair again.

"Where are you going," Katara asked,

"Nowhere," Ayumi replied, "I have nowhere to go. None of you will even let me out of this room for some fresh air, so I'm stuck here."

"Alright then," Katara shrugged, "whatever floats your boat."

Eventually Ayumi was able to get out of the room, but no one let her near any of the exits of the base. They were harsh when dealing with her, but she made no resistance, and when they moved her, she just went with the flow. She seemed to bide her time just idly wandering around the place. It was ironic that the Fire Lady was the only one who was restricted in the area; nonetheless, Ayumi was not bothered at all by her captivity. In fact, she seemed accustomed to it.

Ayumi was bothersome to The Avatar Guard, but only because they could not figure out what she was doing, or why she found wandering around to be so entertaining. She never actually caused any harm. She only spoke when spoken to, and when she did, it was usually just the truthful answer to a suspicious question. The only one who did not seem bothered by her was Katara II, and she and Tenoko were not afraid to converse with Ayumi as if they were acquaintances instead of rivals.

"What is she doing," Zakura asked Tenoko, "she's clearly not innocent."

"I never said she was, and believe it to be false as much as you do," Tenoko replied, "she is likely just lonely and bored. She seems to like having someone to talk to."

"So why do you and Katara give her what she wants," she asked,

"Because Ayumi is an interesting woman to converse with," Tenoko replied, "so trust me, Zak; do you really think that I would talk with her just to humor her? I'm on your side still. I only talk to her because it gives me something to do while we wait for The Order to complete their plans of trying to retake this base and likely liberate Ayumi."

Ayumi was wandering by during this time, and she had stopped when she heard her name.

"Beat it," said Zakura, "this is none of your business."

"On the contrary," Ayumi replied, "anything involving my name is my business. Also, being the Fire Lady also brings most Fire Nation affairs under the category of "my business"; am I right?"

"Normally you would be," Zakura replied, "but here, you're just another ordinary person. You have no authority here."

"Alright then," said Ayumi, looking upwards, "I can live with that."

And with that, she simply walked off, still retaining her royal stride.

"She's up to something, Tenoko," Zakura warned, "surely you have noticed it by now—it's undeniable."

"Of course," Tenoko replied, "but like you, I don't know what it is. Ayumi Zhaoka is acting more normal than I thought was possible for her."

"We need to find out what she's up to," said Zakura, "and I say this to you because you're one of the two people she'll talk to, and Katara Altina II is on her own side."

"I understand," Tenoko replied, "and I'll do my best. What we really need though is a way to convince Katara to go up against her in a battle of wits. She's a very smart kid."

"Aye," said Zakura, smirking, "that would be an interesting performance: a battle of The Two Masterminds."


	66. Chapter 66: A Fatal Mistake

Chapter 66: A Fatal Mistake

The Avatar Guard remained at what was formerly The Order's Kyoshi Warrior base, figuring that a huge place like this would be one that they would want to try and reclaim. However, after a week of nothing, not even any more offers in exchange for Ayumi's freedom, they figured that The Order had something else in mind.

Ayumi knew this part of their strategy, but the only time she ever opened her mouth was when she wanted to talk to someone, or when she wanted to be released. During that week she had started complaining. Apparently she thought that she would be rescued.

As a result, and probably to torment her, they let Katara II be the one to watch over her. She was able to because of her power. Katara I and Sokka were uneasy about this, but Katara II accepted the job, seeing it as a good way to get revenge for their earlier meetings.

Unlike Ayumi had been with Katara though, Katara was not determined to kill Ayumi. She was just there to shut her up when she complained.

Eventually The Avatar Guard figured that if The Order was not going to come to them that they would have to go to The Order. After all, for all The Avatar Guard knew, they could be in Ba Sing Se scouring the area for the Avatar Guard's main base.

"They know of our location obviously," said Ryuka to the others; they were preparing to move out. They had chained Ayumi's hands behind her back, blindfolded her and had put another chain around her head that went into her mouth, so that she was biting down on it and couldn't talk. She stood there grumbling and seemed to be trying vainly to escape.

"Do you realize that with Fire Nation Soldiers and Kyoshi Warriors, the two generally most powerful military units that they could very well have taken over the walls?"

"Surely they could not take over Ba Sing Se with that few people though," said Zakura, "it just couldn't be done, let alone this soon."

"Who said they had to take over," Ryuka asked, "all they would have to do is claim the walls and be able to hold them. But aye, they certainly haven't taken it over yet, but they certainly could have taken parts of the walls to bar the likes of us out."

"So do you want to know what we do," said a raspy voice; they turned to see Katara, donned in her black armor, her helmet in her hand; "we send former members of The Order in, and they'll be the ones to let us in."

"What are you talking about," Cheng and Taki both asked, for they figured Katara was talking about them, and she was. During the time between the battle and now, she had obtained as much information about The Avatar Guard as possible.

Though she was not on The Avatar Guard's side necessarily, she figured that they were "The side with the good cause" and so she was going to for the time being help them try to end the war. Additionally, her family was on this site, and although she had not quite re-bonded with them yet, she was not going to turn against them.

Katara looked at Chang and Taki and smirked.

"You two," she said, "you two are traitors to The Order. Moreover, the fact that you happen to be a Fire Soldier and a Kyoshi Warrior makes the plan perfect. All you need to do is slap these Order crests on your chests and they'd let you in."

"How do you know this," Zakura asked,

"She's been in The Order obviously," said Maric, "and I can second her statement. I've been there too. I know what they do."

"But do you have any of these crests," Royota asked her, and Katara smirked. She turned to where Ayumi was bound and walked over to her. Reaching into Ayumi's pocket, she whipped out a handful of Order Emblems. These were used to distinguish friend from foe during battles so when things got hectic that allies would not kill each other, since soldiers and warriors from all nations were on both sides.

Ayumi glared at Katara as she did this. She growled.

"Who do you think you are," she snapped, though it was sort of hard to tell what she had said because of the chain in her mouth,

"I'm Katara Altina II:" Katara replied, "and I will always be one step ahead of everyone else."

"Really now," Ayumi asked, and even some of the Avatar Guard members looked at her oddly.

"Of course," Katara replied, "when you have more power than you're able to handle, you HAVE to stay one step ahead of everyone else."

She paused and looked around. She then handed an Order Emblem to Taki, and one to Cheng.

"With these and your uniforms," she said, "you'll be invincible."

Cheng and Taki smirked. Of course, Taki's makeup and headgear made her look like just another Kyoshi Warrior, and of course Cheng's helmet would cover his face, so they were set.

"So," said Katara, turning to Ryuka, "does this plan sit well with you all, or do I need to shut up and sit down?"

"If they're fine with it," said Ryuka, "then all systems go,"

"Aye," Zakura added, "their opinion matters the most right now."

"Well," said Taki, giggling, "we had a fun time ripping them apart and totally humiliating them last time, didn't we, Cheng-Cheng?"

Cheng laughed and nodded.

"Aye," he replied, "aye we did."

"In that case," said Katara, putting her helmet back on, "we must be on our way immediately."

Cheng and Taki did not bother to ask questions. The fact that they would not have to be separated might have helped this.

The rest of The Avatar Guard left the next day, most of the armies moving out with them. There were a few that remained at the base to hold it incase of a decent-sized invasion, and they figured that with Cheng, who specialized against Fire Nation soldiers and Taki, who specialized against Kyoshi Warriors, [and The Dark Warrior, The Avatar, and The Four Benders] that they'd do alright.

Ayumi did not seem to enjoy being held captive by Ryuka, who had remained at the base to watch over her. They would have had Katara be the one to do it, but she was playing her part as The Dark Warrior. Other than her, Ryuka was the only one who could handle her without her driving them insane and wanting to kill her.

"Try and kiss me again and I'll slice your mouth off," Ryuka warned, brandishing a knife like he usually just did for show anyways. Ayumi just sighed through her chains and sat down on the bed again. This surprised Ryuka, as once again, she seemed to have changed.

This was just part of Ayumi's sympathy game though, and eventually, after some wistful sighing, Ryuka's sympathetic side gave in, and he unchained her hands and mouth.

"Come on," Ryuka shrugged, looking at Ayumi's longing face, "you're not being treated badly."

"I never said I was," Ayumi replied, "I just want to go home; home to the Fire Nation; home into the welcoming arms of my husband."

Ryuka scoffed, "that's not the message you gave to me the last time we met," he said, "surely you could care less."

"Honestly," said Ayumi, sounding insulted, "you do not know a game of the mind when it is slapped into your face."

"Perhaps you gave me the wrong impression," said Ryuka, "either way; it is not something that I will be forgetting."

Ayumi sighed. Being surrounded by an entire mass of people who all hated her was not doing too well on her by this time stressed emotional status, and she really did want to go home. Having nothing else to wear, she simply removed her headpiece and her shoes and then crawled into the bed in the corner, curling up, her face away from Ryuka, who was sitting where Katara II usually did, his feet on the table.

Ayumi lay there thinking about her friends, though evil they were. She was also thinking about her husband, Orzon, and how, although they were both cruel and merciless to most other people, they were kind and loving almost exclusively to each other.

"I miss him," Ayumi whispered, and Ryuka heard her, "I miss his touch. I long again to feel the warmth of him putting his arm around me; the warmth of his lips pressing against mine; feeling his heartbeat when we embrace each other; the warmth of his body around mine when I sleep... I miss the warm voice of my Orzon."

"Who are you" Ryuka asked off-handedly, "you're... different."

"I am Fire Lady Ayumi," Ayumi whispered again, "the wife of Fire Lord Orzon. Regardless of how we treated the rest of the world, we always loved each other—truly; always and forever."

"Eh," Ryuka shrugged, his sympathy for this woman limited for obvious reasons, "whatever."

Ayumi did not respond, but she was thankful that Ryuka did not turn around. Though tears had been running down her face when she was talking about how much she missed Orzon [it had been sincere], she had thought of her answer on how to escape. Now she was grinning.

"I am the 4th greatest firebender in the world," she thought to herself, placing herself beneath Alzar and Katara II, two world-known masters, and also beneath Orzon, but above Zeruda; "no mere Avatar Guard minions, not even their strategist, will be able to keep me now. Zakura, by leaving me with the people you did, you just made A Fatal Mistake."


	67. Chapter 67: An Agonizing Defeat

Chapter 67: An Agonizing Defeat

Because of their appearances, Cheng and Taki were able to get back into Ba Sing Se past The Order's forces, which had in fact taken over the western area around where The Avatar Guard's base was located. They did not know the exact location (for all of the main bases of either group were well-hidden), but they seemed to be scouring the area.

Cheng and Taki were assigned an area to scour, and incidentally, it was the area where it was. As a result, while the other Order members of their group were searching around there, they chose the area where it was, and naturally just claimed to have found nothing.

"What's Katara doing," Taki whispered to Cheng, "why isn't she appearing; what's taking her so long?"

"I don't know," Cheng replied truthfully, "but think—she probably knows what she was doing. I mean, she's gotten us this far."

Unfortunately, they were heard by some of the others, including the Commander who was in charge of their group.

"Who are you talking about," he snapped at them, "speak now."

Luckily Cheng thought fast, as Taki was rooted to the spot. She was scared that they were going to hurt Cheng, and was therefore nervously messing with her katana, a weapon that she individually did not use nearly as often as her trademark razor-sharp Kyoshi fans; ["They're so sharp you can cut yourself by thinking of them" she boasted]

"We were talking about Fire Lady Ayumi," he replied quickly, "surely she knows what she is doing wherever she is now."

"The Avatar Guard has her, you idiot," the commander replied, "but whatever. Get back to searching."

However, the time of 'scouring' only lasted half a day. Late that evening, The Order got an unexpected visitor: Katara II—The Dark Warrior.

"Did ya miss me?" she laughed, and her raspy voice, combined with her method of disguise that she used to make her voice sound even lower, made it actually sound rather funny.

"What do you want," said one the guards on the walls. They said it forcefully, but Katara could tell that they were worried.

"The Avatar Guard is coming," she warned, "so I suggest that you prepare yourselves. You've got enemies all around you."

"Really now," one of the soldiers chuckled; he looked like a high-ranking officer; "Sir Warrior, I think it is you that has your facts mixed up. You have enemies all around you."

The Dark Warrior chuckled. "Surely," she said, "you've heard the news by now; but I guess not?"

"What are you playing," he asked, "is this some sort of mind game?"

"Not at all," The Dark Warrior replied, "I just thought that surely your Order would have informed everyone that The Warrior of the Black Hand is just a 15-year-old girl."

She removed her helmet for a moment and smirked.

"As for enemies being all around you," she said, putting her helmet back on, "that is what it is about to seem like. Cheng, Taki, that's your cue."

Cheng and Taki pocketed their Order Emblems and made it so their faces were recognized again.

"Let the games begin," they said in unison.

"And if we die here," said Cheng to Taki, "we'll die together. Death will not separate us."

"No," said Taki, "no it won't. But we're not going to die; not here at least."

Cheng smirked, and the two of them took off. According to Katara's timing, the rest of The Avatar Guard would be there within an hour or so, and so they figured if they could avoid their enemies for that long they would. As a result, Cheng and Taki were avoiding fighting unless they actually had to, and were lingering generally around The Dark Warrior, who was clearly able to ensure that no one died that she didn't want dead.

The remainder of the Avatar Guard showed up and began wreaking havoc. Using large amounts of water, the waterbenders were able to get themselves over the wall. The airbenders glided over, the firebenders blasted themselves across and the earthbenders just lifted the ground around them to get across.

The Elite members of The Avatar Guard all did well at staying alive, but because of the wall advantage that The Order had, many of The Avatar Guard's soldiers began falling. Incidentally, almost none of the major Order members seemed to be there, for none was in sight except for Yang and Orzon. Naturally, Orzon was looking for Tenoko, for it had been her that had captured his wife.

Like Ayumi, Orzon knew about Maric and Malak being Tenoko's children. He figured that she would try to watch over them unlike before [though they were decent at defending themselves considering how young they were], and he was right. Although she wasn't right next to them, Tenoko was not moving very far from the twins, so he fought his way over.

"Crikey," Tenoko exclaimed as Orzon confronted her and the two started fighting, Orzon fighting just as fiercely as Ayumi had, "why is it that I'm always the one who gets pulled into a big fight?"

Unlike Ayumi, Orzon did not have some sort of friendly rivalry with Tenoko, and so he was not going easy on her like Ayumi had been. [Just like Tenoko had gone easy on Ayumi] he was swift, powerful, fierce, and relentless. It seemed that the anger of him knowing he was fighting the woman who captured his wife was fueling his energy.

"You," he said, launching a powerful attack at her, "you were the one who took my wife from me,"

"Indeed I was," said Tenoko, sidestepping the attack and throwing some of her own; she was actually attacking this time instead of only countering and defending, "all is fair in the game of war. I actually would almost be inclined to say that she let me capture her. I never understood the way she operated, but she usually outsmarted me with tactics; I guess my side was just a little drunken luck."

"Perhaps it was," said Orzon, "or perhaps you have some considerable skill." He glanced out in the direction which the Avatar Guard had come from, and saw a small glint on the horizon that was not the sun; "Nevertheless," he continued, "you are my enemy."

"I should assume so," Tenoko shrugged, "so I guess we fight, as is customary in the art of war."

The battle between the Fire Lord and the former Water Chief was truly awe-inspiring, even more so than the one against Ayumi. Huge, dazzling bursts of fire combated amazingly enormous water formations as the two masters fought their way to victory against the other.

Like his wife, Orzon was very nimble. However, Tenoko won that award easily, as she was almost never on her feet—she was usually flipping or spiraling through the air preventing an attack or throwing one of her own. Orzon was a little more stable; standing his ground and attacking from one spot as opposed to flipping and jumping all over the place like Tenoko was. Both of them had swift reflexes, and with the exception of Orzon searing Tenoko's arm, it seemed that neither one could land a powerful hit on the other.

Meanwhile, the rest of the battle seemed to be going in favor of The Avatar Guard, despite their disadvantages. However, this was unfortunately about to change.

The glint on the horizon was growing closer, and was now easily visible as a fiery object cutting a burning path across the plains towards the walls of the city. Friend and foe alike stopped to see what it was, as it was rather small, but fast and the flames were huge.

"Spirits have mercy," Sokka exclaimed, as he was known for his keen eyes; "it's Ayumi. She's coming!"

It was hard to tell, but Ayumi was moving fast enough towards them, cutting a blazing trail towards the city, that she was soon recognizable as the Fire Lady.

"There's only one way that that could have happened," said Royota grimly to Zakura, "she must have killed Ryuka."

"I want to know how she got past all the soldiers," Zakura exclaimed, as they watched Ayumi meet up with The Avatar Guard troops who were still outside the walls, "I left a lot back there for a reason."

Ayumi single-handedly annihilated most of the Avatar Guard soldiers who were outside the walls, leaving the rest to the Order members, and blasting herself over the walls.

"Did you miss me," she asked, beaming, "or should we halt this war and go our separate ways?"

"They have the advantage," Royota whispered, "if I were you Zakura, I would run. They want you, and they want to destroy the avatar cycle. We are here to die for you, and if that is what it will take, then that is what we'll do."

"No," said Zakura, "I am not going to run like a coward."

"Capture them all," said Orzon, "take them to Lake Laogai; take the others that we spoke of to the Fire Nation."

Even the Dark Warrior was captured during this chaos. Somehow, she had lost control of her power. All of the firebenders had actually seemed more powerful, but after The Dark Warrior lost control, they realized that a crucial figure had been lost, and she too was captured.

"Xin Shing is in the Fire Nation," Zeruda whispered as she passed Zakura, "they're taking you to Lake Laogai with the others. Don't worry."

Zakura even admitted defeat. It hurt her to watch all of her friends get captured, and she hoped that some of the younger ones would be alright. She had noticed that Meili had gotten Zuki out of the fray, and that was a relief to her, but Zakura accepted her fate—Ayumi's return; Ryuka's [assumed] death, and the loss at the walls—An Agonizing Defeat.


	68. Chapter 68: Extreme Determination

Chapter 68: Extreme Determination

The defeated Avatar Guard members had their chi blocked by some of the Kyoshi Warriors so they wouldn't be able to escape, and surprisingly, this worked rather effectively. It was much harder to block chi during a battle, as a sword has a much longer reach than an arm, and benders could easily use distance to their advantage.

Nonetheless, The Order took Iresu, Zeruda, Tenoko, Maric, Malak, Katara II, Koara, Royota, and The Four Benders to the Fire Nation, while the rest of them went to the Earth Kingdom to Lake Laogai. Why they had decided to split them up like this was unknown, and they all especially wondered why Zakura was being taken to Lake Laogai instead of the Fire Nation, for they all know that Xin Shing's headquarters was in the Fire Nation, and therefore they did not know why The Order had done what they did.

Zakura was mostly wondering about the younger figures, like Maric, Malak, Reyson, Sanaki, and Vigo. She saw Meili escape with Zuki, so she wasn't worried about her. She also noted that they did not seem to know that Reyson was Zeruda's son, and this also relieved her.

Zakura was unsure about the rest of her friends, but from what she understood of the Lake Laogai base they were taken to, there were two people in each cell. She herself got one with Sanaki. Ironically, it seemed that none of the prominent Order figures had gone to Lake Laogai—or so she had thought.

"Looks like we might be seeing how well Zhin and Tu-Sung fight," said Zakura to Sanaki, since she was the only one with her after they were locked up. Neither one could bend at the moment because their chi had been blocked [that or they pulled the stunt well enough and made it look like their limbs hurt enough].

"Oh," Sanaki exclaimed, "well, maybe you all will. I'm blind, remember?"

"Right," Zakura chuckled, for Sanaki had giggled as well, "you're your spirits are still up. But aye, they're here."

Zakura had obviously mentioned them because they were the ones who were guarding the prison underneath Lake Laogai that The Avatar Guard was kept at. Granted, there were others, but those two were the prominent Order figures present.

"So why didn't Orzon want the avatar in the Fire Nation?" Zhin asked Tu-Sung, for once again, the logic of the Zhaoka family had baffled her. They were clearly out of The Avatar Guard's earshot when they talked about the subject though;

"I am unsure," Tu-Sung replied, "but surely they will inform us of it at one time or another. What we should be worrying about is if they figure out the lay of this place and try to escape. After all, with the avatar and prominent figures like that, surely they would be able to overwhelm us just like Ayumi did with Ryuka and The Avatar Guard's soldiers at the Kyoshi Warrior base to the west."

"Aye," Zhin remarked, "I personally think that we should just release them. They are not doing us any good, for we know that they will all die rather than betray the avatar, and killing Princess Zakura when she's not in the avatar state defeats the purpose of our mission."

"Indeed," said Tu-Sung, "perhaps Orzon and Ayumi were hoping that we would be able to figure that out. Fire Lady Ayumi was always one step ahead of everyone else."

"If The Dark Warrior were here, she would laugh at that remark," said Zhin, "and yet even she faltered. I wonder why."

"Because she is a 15-year-old girl, Zhin," said Tu-Sung, "she was clearly going far over her head with what she did."

"But she got away with it for so long," said Zhin, "surely there is much more to that young girl than meets the eye. Why would Orzon and Ayumi target her the way they did if she was normal?"

"Then she was a prodigious 15-year-old girl who went over her head," said Tu-Sung, "but then again, I did notice a surge of power among the firebenders. We had more of them then the Avatar Guard too. It seemed like they were all more powerful."

"Perhaps there is an upcoming comet," said Zhin, "surely Fire Nation records in the Royal Palace would tell of it, and since the Royal Palace is in our hands, we would be the ones to know."

"Perhaps that was Ayumi's gambit," Tu-Sung remarked, "and perhaps it is why the young girl lost control."

"She has more power than she can control," said Zhin, "that was what Orzon said. If she was able to control it up until this point, then she must have had a power surge. Being a firebender myself, I know that when a firebender has a power surge that means there is a comet approaching."

"This is either going to make or break Katara Altina II." Tu-Sung said,

"Oh," Zhin exclaimed, "how so,"

"I don't have to be a firebender to know the old legends, Zhin," Tu-Sung chuckled; he was an earthbender; "if she does not gain control over her power, it will consume her."

"Then I also suppose that you know how that power can be harnessed?" Zhin remarked, "there was a man almost 1300 years ago, hired by a Fire Nation Prince to kill the avatar, who was able to concentrate his energy and make distant explosions. It was actually a faulty attack that sent him to his grave at the Western Air Temple."

"She clearly has that sort of thing against her," Tu-Sung remarked, "It was a faltering attack from her that enabled us to capture her."

"Exactly; but it is this approaching comet that is taking her into the danger zone. If she does not die from this, she could become a threat worse than the avatar."

"She's a determined young woman. Regardless of what side she is on, I will admit that she did well with that Dark Warrior guise."

"My point exactly, Tu-Sung; if she was just some ordinary 15-year-old girl I would just shrug this off and assume that her intensified power from the comet would consume her. This is Katara Altina II though. She's been determinedly hunting for her family for the past year almost. She was determined to master her power, and she did before she became The Dark Warrior."

"But she is not on The Avatar Guard's side, Zhin; she said that she is on neither side. She is simply going to attempt to fight both sides and end the war. We all know what will end it though—the deaths of Princess Zakura or Lord Xin Shing. Even then there are other conditions that need to be met on both of these sides."

"Tu-Sung, her family is part of The Avatar Guard. if The Avatar Guard figures this out, all they will have to do is make sure that Sokka Altina and Katara Altina I are at every battle they fight, and Katara Altina II will not fight against them. It is a bond that would lead to our downfall. That girl is altogether dangerous."

"That what do you propose, Zhin? Surely we cannot take on a girl with that much power on our own."

"We do not want them coming for our group here. We need to release the others tomorrow."

"Do we release Sokka and Katara I?"

"Aye, with the avatar, she'll probably try to break them out."

"Good point. What did we plan on doing with them anyways?"

"I'm just as clueless as you in that regard. We make the verdict tomorrow. If they discover the things we do here we'll be done in."

"So be it," said Tu-Sung, "perhaps sending out a few Zuroc Sensei to convey the message to the Fire Nation before The Avatar Guard gets there would be a smart idea."

"Exactly," said Zhin, "knowing them, they are going to try and release their other friends; and so Orzon and Ayumi should be informed of it."

The Avatar Guard was all surprised to be released the next day. Needless to say, they did not ask questions, but instead retreated back to their base, for the area was now for the most part deserted.

Upon their return, they were glad to see that Meili, Zuki, their family, and the Foxx family were safe and well.

Naturally, they were all a bit confused as to why The Order had suddenly released them;

"This sucks," said Zakura, since all the Senior Members of The Avatar Guard had been the ones taken, "I... I don't feel like I should do this. I feel like I lack the authority or something."

"Zakura," said Katara I, "remember, we fight for you. We take your command, regardless of what it is. Knowing the other members of The Avatar Guard, they'll be alright."

"I know," said Zakura, "but... I don't know; it's just... well, you just lost your daughter again; Ryuka is gone; and now our whole group is in two different places."

"Believe me, Zakura," said Katara I, I've been through worse. I didn't even get to properly talk to my daughter, and so my determination is going to drag me all the way to the Fire Nation even if I have to swim there."

Zakura smiled, "in that case," she said firmly, "then we're going to the Fire Nation to get our friends back. Who here is with me?"

Naturally, everyone who had been captured with them [and also Meili and Zuki] was in. with Royota and Koara gone, and Ryuka now dead, Katara I seemed to be Zakura's new ray of hope. For a woman who had been separated from her family, she took life rather well.

"Don't worry, Zakura," she said as they boarded a ship to the Fire Nation, "we're still here for you, and we are going to get our friends out of their grasp. All we need is Extreme Determination.


	69. Chapter 69: Go With The Flow

Chapter 69: Go With The Flow

It was a few days before Zeruda, Tenoko, Iresu and the others reached the Fire Nation. They were kept securely in a place where they would not be able to escape. The exception was Katara, who was taken again to the palace. She still had her black armor, and was not about to let it get taken from her.

Maric and Malak were separated from Tenoko, and were actually taken to an arena with Orzon and Ayumi. Apparently they recognized Maric as a traitor to The Order. However, they had a different tactic instead of killing him. They were not going to kill Malak either.

"Maric Dragmire," said Ayumi, since neither of the twins had any power at this point owing to The Order's forces preventing them [namely through chi blockage], "the boy who betrayed The Order. Tell me; what madness drove you to that point?"

"My sister's madness," Maric replied firmly, "or rather, her sanity—her reasoning; I know what side is going to win this war—it's the side that is fighting for a good cause—for self-defense."

"Reasoning," said Ayumi, "the only reasoning you need is some that will convince me not to punish you—by tormenting your sister."

Both Maric and Malak gasped. Malak was scared, and Maric angry.

"No," said Maric, "I am the one who betrayed you, and so if you feel justice must be served, then punish me. Do not harm my sister."

Ayumi smirked, "Do you know of Sanaki Li Chan," she said, "THE legendary Sanaki Li Chan?"

"She was the greatest Fire Lady to ever live," Malak replied angrily, "the opposite of YOU."

"On the contrary," said Ayumi seductively, "I am her descendant—or rather, one of many. The long black hair, the soft skin, the vivid eyes—the seductive good looks..."

"You're a monster," Malak snapped. Reyson had actually told Malak that she looked pretty in her warrior's clothes; "beauty is not a term for you, no matter how much you wish it."

"Seductive beauty has run in the Li Chan Family's blood for generations," Ayumi replied deviously, "just because not all of their members used it did not mean it went unused."

"What's your point," Maric asked,

"Do you know why you are here, Dragmire children," she asked, "You, Maric, are here to see your sister locked away. You, Malak, are about to meet your new best friend."

A Zuroc Sensei appeared from nowhere and gripped Malak's upper arms between where her fingerless gloves ended and her short sleeves started. It did not seem very strong, and Malak actually jerked, thinking she could break free. When she tried that, two swift jabs to her ankles told her that the Zuroc Sensei were merciless.

"My name is Azula Caroso," she said a low voice, "consider your life in my hands, little waterbender—for you will never see the light of day where you are going."

Azula turned out to be a fierce and smooth-talking firebender of great power. She said she was named after a Fire Princess with similar qualities, and, like her, was a powerful prodigy with cutting words. Surprisingly, her clothing did not seem like Maric and Malak had thought it would. It was simply a sleeveless shirt and knee length pants. However, her shins from the knee to the foot and her forearms from the elbow to the fingertips were bound. Her feet were also bare, and she had a large ponytail.

When all was said and done, Malak was locked away, and Maric was kicked from the prison. He didn't know where to go, but he was determined to get back in there and get his sister out. He went in the direction of the area where he knew the Secret Service Base was and was not terribly surprised when he saw the rest of his group there, except Katara Altina II. It took him effort to find the place, and the only reason he found it was because he had been there with Prince Reyson and his sister Malak previously.

Eventually he got everything explained, and wondered how they had gotten out. They said that after a few questions had been answered, they were simply let go.

"Definitely one of Ayumi's gambits," said Tenoko, "I've been in many of them myself. I personally wish I could watch Sanaki Li Chan pack a wallop on her—Fire Lady and Fire Lady;"

"About that," Maric remarked, and then told her about Ayumi's ancestry.

"She's WHAT," Tenoko gawked, deliberately turning and spewing her drink in Alzar's face, who also looked shocked.

"Tenoko, pull yourself together woman," Alzar snapped, "It means she's somehow related to ME, not you."

"No, no," said Tenoko, "I got that. You said something about her holding Malak in that ramble of yours, son. I ain't going to sit for that. That's my daughter. Ayumi's got no rights to take her."

"You think that'd sway her," Maric exclaimed, "I tried that same thing. I'm the one to blame, not her."

"Well what are we waiting for then," said Tenoko, standing up and grabbing Maric's hand, "lead the way. We're going in."

"Are you nuts," Zeruda exclaimed, "going straight in without a plan or anything of that matter?"

"Aye, of course I am," Tenoko replied, "and as such, Maric and I are going to skedaddle on over there. We're winging this thing happy go-lucky style. I want my daughter back, and nothing's standing in my way."

Maric didn't seem too keen on this, but he did want to rescue his sister, so naturally, he went with Tenoko.

"Blimey, that woman's going to get herself killed," Koara remarked, "what's she thinking going straight in there like that?"

"She's thinking that she wants her child back," said Iresu, "and the stubbornness of a probably drunken Water Chief might also be in there somewhere; who'd be surprised?"

"Well," said Zeruda, "she's going to get herself and her son killed. We should follow her in case we're needed."

"Or perhaps," said Zinjamyn, "she's not going to just burst in, but rather sneak in and then make herself known."

"Who's to predict the tactics of Tenoko Dragmire?" Shinon chuckled, "I mean: I for one never would have thought that she had known Ayumi that long; who knows what else she's hiding inside that head of hers..."

"A drunken mind, and a genius one at that," Royota laughed, "I suppose this time we should just let fate run its course. Tenoko was much like you, Koara—never cared if she was killed."

"Aye, isn't she?" Koara chuckled, "well, if she's got luck like mine, she'll definitely be coming back, Malak in her arms."

Tenoko certainly seemed to have luck on her side. Maric was able to lead him from the place he and Malak had been.

"Tenoko," Maric asked, still used to addressing her this way as opposed to as his mother, "do you know of a woman named Azula Caroso?"

"Azula Caroso," Tenoko exclaimed, "No, no I haven't. Who is she?"

"She's apparently a Zuroc Sensei hired by The Order," Maric replied, "and she's the one that Ayumi put over Malak."

"Azula, eh," Tenoko asked, "named after that legendary Fire Princess who lived over 1000 years ago?"

"That's what she said," Maric replied, "and she's powerful. I don't think she's necessarily an avid Order supporter, but rather, she seems to work for the highest bidder—or that was what I got from seeing her."

"I see," Tenoko replied, "well that's just dandy, mate. Then perhaps I can nip a gold piece or two from Zak-Zak to talk her into getting my daughter out of the grasp of that b..."

"She's strong;" Maric warned, "all she did; was grip Malak's elbows with her fingers and she was able to render her unable to escape."

"Then we're in for some competition," Tenoko replied, "that's not about to stop me. Are you still with me?"

"Aye, err... mom;" Maric replied, glancing at her; she literally had just left, for although she had her warrior's clothes still on [as always], "but I think we could have planned this out a little better; I mean; you literally just walked out. You're still barefoot."

Tenoko looked down at her bare feet, "so I am, son," she remarked, chuckling, "you've got a good eye."

"Mom," said Maric flatly, "you're eccentric."

"It's a gift, my boy, it's a gift." Tenoko replied proudly "but let's worry about that later. First we've got to get your sister out of there."

"So what's the plan exactly?" Maric asked,

"We make it up as we go," Tenoko replied, "we first need to find out where Malak is, 'coz bursting into the wrong place would be rather embarrassing; don't ya think?"

"Not to mention get us killed anyways," Maric muttered under his breath,

"Didn't hear that," Tenoko chuckled, "I assume you said aye."

Maric just decided to shrug and go with the flow. Tenoko continued up until they were just outside the area where Malak was. However, they wanted to know a more exact location for her, so they began scouting around outside the walls, as not to get caught inside them.

"I'm glad you came with me, Maric," she said, as the two of them took shelter for the night, "you were right about me not properly thinking this through, but spirits above, THAT'S MY DAUGHTER!!!"

"And that's why I came," Maric replied proudly, "because she's also my sister, and I want her back just as much as you do."

Mother and son curled up and went to sleep, hoping that they would soon be able to find and rescue Malak. Regardless, they had put themselves into a position where they just decided to Go With The Flow.


	70. Chapter 70: The Blazing Phoenix

Chapter 70: The Blazing Phoenix

Despite Maric and Tenoko having brought next to nothing with them, they were comfortable. Malak on the other hand, suffered a different fate. She turned out to be the only waterbender in the place she was kept, and so she was not even able to see any of the other prisoners, let alone talk to any of them and she knew there were quite a few.

Her environment was traditional for a waterbender prisoner: dry, hands chained to prevent any way of bending, and hostile temperatures. It made poor Malak feel lightheaded, and she was quickly unconscious. She was still dressed in her warrior's clothes, and this proved to be a lucky shot for Malak as the chains were digging into her wrists after she went down and out. The fingerless gloves she wore kept the chains from cutting through her skin, and so she didn't bleed.

The chains she was in allowed some maneuverability, but of course, any time they brought her water, they would immediately be jerked and tightened, usually yanking Malak's body hard enough to slam her against the back wall. Malak may have claimed that she was not a delicate sculpture, but as a 14-year-old girl, she was not able to shrug off being slammed against a wall like Zakura would. She tumbled to her knees in pain most of the time, and was barely able to stand up.

The temperature around Malak's cell was cold, for if it were hot, Malak would be able to sweat, and could possibly use that to her advantage. She was tired and weak, and very thirsty. During this time she observed her surroundings. There were pipes above her leading to the vents that shot out air to make the area dry, but other than that there was nothing else really that she could utilize. However, what she didn't know was that she had a mother and brother who would become her greatest resources for her escape.

"You see, son," said Tenoko, "Koara Lombardi taught me an interesting technique when scaling walls is concerned. Basically, it's a waterbender's form of raising a platform. Just keep your balance."

Tenoko formed ice beneath their feet and raised them both up, landing on the roof. There was nothing out of the ordinary except for a decent-sized area with vents that led inward.

"This is our answer," said Tenoko, "in my years of experience, I've learned that these vents are connected to the pipes that keep a waterbender's cell dry. In other words, if we send water down those pipes, we might be able to free some of the waterbenders in the area. I assume they know who Malak is, and that she'll be here."

"So," said Maric, "you've got water?"

"We're dumping it all, son," Tenoko replied, "but first we have to get to that area without being seen. Think you're in for it?"

"So a game of hide-and-seek is our strategy then?" Maric exclaimed;

"Aye," Tenoko replied bluntly. "Let us go; and hope that luck remains with us as we do, lest we err, die, eh?"

"Um, aye," Maric replied, almost rolling his eyes, "we wouldn't want that."

"Anyhoot," said Tenoko, as they dodged their way over to their destination, "let's wing it now."

They eventually reached the area where they figured the waterbenders would be, and Tenoko paused.

"Here goes," she said, bending water through one of the vents, "now we just hope Malak in conscious enough to catch on."

Malak had been resting as much as possible, and since she had not been in there for a very long time, she was not yet as tired as she would have been if she was a regular, but her energy was diminishing.

Malak was asleep when Maric and Tenoko had pulled their stunt. Her arms were at awkward angles behind her, for she was lying on the ground on her side, trying to get comfortable. She was awakened by the cold water hitting the side of her face. She jolted awake and noticed what it was—water. However, her hands were chained, and so their movement was obviously impaired. Luckily for her though, her eccentric tactics that she and Maric used were finally able to make a big enough difference between her and a normal waterbender.

Malak's feet were not chained, and so using some fancy footwork, she quickly broke the chains on her wrists, disconnecting them from the walls. She would get them off her wrists later. she would need more of that 'fancy footwork' if she wanted any chance of escape, for her arm joints ached because of the awkward way she slept, mainly her left arm.

"So assuming she does wake up," said Maric, "what do WE do?"

"We wing it," said Tenoko, pulling out more water, "we're going to smash through this roof and hope we don't land on some death trap."

"Oh, are you," said a voice; Tenoko and Maric turned to see Azula fling herself onto the rooftop, her bare feet making no noise upon her landing; "come, sit; I would like to tell you a little story."

"That's Azula Caroso," Maric whispered, "the one I was talking about."

"Alright then, Azula Caroso" Tenoko replied, "but remember; I'm not as think as you drunk I am"

Azula paused, choking on a laugh at Tenoko's statement. Maric looked uneasily at her—sometime between the times she had woken up and now she had obviously gotten a drink.

"RIIIIIGHT..." she said, dragging out the 'I', "but anyways, I promised a story, and so I will give it."

Azula's intent was to stall them out so that the guards could surround them. However, but summoning them, she was also virtually giving Malak a free ticket to escaping.

"This is a story of where The Order of the Avatar Slayer took off. It is also part of Avatar Zuroc's lore. Initially, The Order of the Avatar slayer was a group trying to promote peace—contrary to popular belief, Avatar Zuroc was actually responsible for a lot of chaos. The Zuroc Sensei were her minions—elite warriors whose uniforms indicated that they "had what it took" to be part of her elite force; to prove that they're not afraid of being rough-and-tough; to show that even with the bright colors, they were able to remain unseen—and they proved effective. The Zuroc Sensei began spreading Zuroc's influence.

It was a Water Tribe woman by the name of Kai Serenes XXI that finally stopped her. she was a waterbending master with skill enough to match up to her legendary avatar namesake, Kai Serenes II, and her mother, Kai Serenes I. it was this incarnation of Kai Serenes that single-handedly stopped the Zuroc Sensei from razing the Serenes village.

After that more and more people stood up to Zuroc's warriors, and eventually they and a few others who supported Zuroc's ways became known as The Avatar Guard. The ones who wanted peace and order back in the world were the ones who wanted to end Zuroc's life, for she was the one responsible for it, so The Order of the Avatar Slayer got its proper name. So by that logic, the groups we know today were opposites in times past. Oh, and by the way, I've got you surrounded."

Tenoko and Maric glanced around, Azula was right. There were several Zuroc Sensei all around them.

"Move and they'll let loose," Azula smirked, back-flipping over them and away, "perhaps on your sister, boy..."

"Really now," said another voice, this one of a younger woman—it was Malak. She looked a little roughed up, but otherwise ready for action. The chains were still around her wrists.

The area was seemingly all firebenders, so when Malak threw the water she collected [also as an attack to break through the wall of Fire soldiers] they, being all firebenders, were unable to use it. This was enough to get Maric and Tenoko back into action.

"What's the plan now?" Maric asked, "

"Run like mad," Tenoko yelled; waterbending her way through the warriors, her children, finally reunited, on either side of her.

"Crikey, Malak, what did you do; run into a bruiser?"

Malak did not answer. The Zuroc Sensei continued chasing them as they looked for a way off the roof. However, Azula suddenly stopped the chase, calling the warriors off. This enabled the Dragmire family to create an easy escape off the roof without being intercepted and landing painfully down and breaking something.

Azula stopped and picked up something. It was an emblem of some sort. She also noticed another one a few feet away. They were gold coins, marked as if they belonged to pirates.

"Captain Dragmire," she exclaimed; "boys, do you know what this is?"

The Zuroc sensei [though not all male] gathered around.

"What is it," one of them asked,

"Do you know who that woman was?" said Azula, smirking, "That was our captain, leaving us a sign. The chase is over. We set sail."

"But what about our jobs in The Order;" a woman asked;

"Who needs order when you can plunder for gain," Azula replied, smirking, "it's about time Captain Dragmire returned from retirement."

"So what," said another man, "are we just going to fly the coop?

"Aye," Azula replied, smirking, "Ayumi told me not to tell you this, but she wanted us away from this place for some reason; put that in and we've got us an excuse. We return to The Blazing Phoenix, mates!"

There was cheering among the Zuroc Sensei, all of whom were truly pirates. Azula had actually been Tenoko's first mate, which meant by that logic, that Chief Tenoko was also Captain Tenoko of The Blazing Phoenix. Tenoko was a pirate as well, and obviously, the name of her ship was The Blazing Phoenix.


	71. Chapter 71: The Troubles of Ayumi

Chapter 71: The Troubles of Ayumi

Katara was back in the Fire Nation Palace again. Orzon, glad that his wife was okay, left Katara for Ayumi to talk with. Incidentally, Ayumi was nowhere near as harsh to her as she was when they first met.

When Ayumi was imprisoned, her favorite person to talk to had been Katara, and so although Katara was chained down with her arms and legs spread out [her legs not quite as much], the two of them were talking like they were friends.

"So what exactly do you want with me," Katara asked, "I mean; I'm done fighting in this war. There is nothing you can do to convince me otherwise. Kill me; try to take my family; there's nothing."

"If it was me, I'd go for your family, girl," Ayumi smirked, "and we both know that. However, I assume that the group they travel with would see them as bait for you, and so they would likely be protected well; not something I'm keen on trying at the moment."

"Smart tactic," Katara replied, "you do seem to have Sanaki Li Chan's brilliant mind. I'd admire that if I were your friend."

"Friend," Ayumi replied, "and what says we're not? We certainly got acquainted at The Order's old central base."

"But how does that constitute us being friends, especially after you tore me apart again from my family, who I still haven't properly talked to?" Katara refuted, "It's who I live for. You were the only other person besides my brother and a young man I once met who actually understood that. It's the reason why I did not make an effort to kill you when I saw you returning to the walls."

"Or was it because your power faltered," Ayumi asked "tell me; tell me everything; this could be interesting."

Katara seemed deep in thought.

"Perhaps it is the upcoming comet," she remarked, "the same one that was foretold to be my death. No wonder I feel so uncomfortable. Is it hot in here or is it just me?"

"It's just you," Ayumi replied truthfully, "look at what I'm wearing. Trust me; these robes get really stuffy when it's hot. It's you, girl."

"Guuhh," Katara groaned, "and so I presume you exploited that,"

"Aye, of course," Ayumi replied, "but I don't blame you for it; you're just a 15-year-old girl. Though I must admit—the whole stunt with The Warrior of the Black Hand was absolutely incredible. I want to know how you did it—how you've even faced your family without shaking at all; how you were able to control your power so well."

"It's called life dedication, Lady Ayumi," Katara replied, shifting so she could see her; the only part of her body she could move was her head. "I want this war to be over. All my life I get people stalking me because of my power, which I don't even want. They want me for the war."

"Who wouldn't want you for the war," Ayumi exclaimed, "you are the single most powerful bender in the world. You oust even the Avatar, and easily oust many of us even DURING a comet."

"But raw power alone does not constitute skill," Katara replied, "surely you know that though, correct?"

"Aye," Ayumi replied, "which was why we trained you the way we did. It was fiercely disciplined for that very reason."

"Aye," Katara hissed, "I noticed that. Thanks for reminding me of how you kept trying to KILL ME, woman."

"Ha," Ayumi laughed, "me, try to kill you;"

"Aye," Katara replied again, still looking angry, "surely a 15-year-old girl is no match for the Fire Lady."

"That was what I thought," said Ayumi, "but you aren't an everyday 15-year-old girl. Your power is obscene."

"I agree," Katara said, "if the story about an avatar removing someone's bending is true, I'm going to have a word with Avatar Zakura before anything happens to her. I want her to remove my power."

"Ah, the old legend," Ayumi said, smiling, "do you realize how much energy it took to remove that Fire Lord's power?"

"Aye," Katara remarked, "but that avatar was just a kid. Zakura is actually a fully-realized avatar."

"Do you realize that you have at least 4 times as much bending energy as that man, even when he was enhanced by that power?"

"F-four t-t-times;" Katara gawked, her eyes popping open; her breathing suddenly became sharp and she looked worried, "and that was WITH the enhanced powers?"

Ayumi nodded. She seemed somber about it.

"You're lying!" she roared angrily, but Ayumi was unfazed.

"Come, come," said Ayumi, standing up and unchaining Katara. She helped her onto her feet and led her into another room. Katara was still hot and sweaty, but that was only from her energy building up.

"Katara," said Ayumi, "there have been various experiences in my life as of recent that have changed my opinions about you. Do you know why I had Orzon bring you here?"

Katara shook her head.

"Well, it was not to brainwash you," Ayumi replied, "his goal by doing that was to ensure that you would not want to kill him."

"Then it worked," Katara shrugged, "I just don't see a reason to kill him."

"You were brought here on my request," Ayumi replied, "I want you to be able to live. My reasons are my own, but that also means that I want your family to live. I know enough about you, Katara Altina II."

"You want me to try and use me," Katara said, "everyone is like that. They only want me because of my power. It just gives me another reason to want to get rid of it."

"Like I said," Said Ayumi, "I am not going to give my reasons, for you would not believe me even if I did. What I am going to do is get you all away from here. We don't need you all meddling in our affairs any longer. Before you go though, I would like to ask you one thing."

"Shoot," said Katara bluntly,

"How DID you pull off that Dark Warrior scheme," she asked,

"I already said," Katara replied straightforwardly, "determination. If I didn't have all these people on my back trying to recruit me for the war, I'd probably care a little more about controlling my power. Right now though, I just want my family to know that I'm safe, that I'm going to die when the comet passes, and that then all will be well."

"Would I have really gone through all this trouble just to let y—" Ayumi started to say, but then immediately stopped.

"Eh," Katara smirked, knowing what Ayumi was going to say next;

"Nothing," she snapped, just like Katara predicted, "you may leave now."

"No, no," said Katara, her grin widening, "I've got a few minutes before I need to let my energy loose. Tell me what you were going to say."

"I said too much," Ayumi replied flatly. You will not get another word out of me, regardless of what you do."

"Not even if I decide to set your robes on fire again?" Katara laughed, and, like it did with Tenoko, Ayumi turned red, looking flustered.

"I have others," Ayumi replied stiffly, "just leave; now."

"Alright then," Katara chuckled, and she eventually left the palace. Apparently the Royal Guards had been instructed not to harm her, as they let her out without any difficulty whatsoever.

Back inside, Ayumi looked worried. Orzon noticed.

"Is everything alright, Ayumi?"

"Aye," Ayumi lied, "I... I just need to lie down."

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked her, taking her hand,

"I... can you lie down next to me;" Ayumi asked, "Just until I fall asleep. I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"Gladly," Orzon replied, squeezing Ayumi's soft hand in his own; they went up to their room, where Ayumi just threw herself onto her bed, fully dressed. She didn't move after that. Orzon lay down behind her and gently ran his fingers through her long, silky black hair. When Ayumi stood, it went down to her knees, which meant that it was about 4 feet in length.

Ayumi closed her eyes, trying to clear her troubled mind. She could not and would not say what the matter was, but assumed that she would be able to shake it off with sleep. Was the comet affecting her as well?

She didn't think so, as she did not feel energy surging through her like Katara had [though she wouldn't recognize it even if she did], nor was her body temperature any higher than normal.

Eventually however, Ayumi fell asleep, but even sleeping her face looked troubled. This upset Orzon, who did not like seeing his wife unhappy. Nonetheless, she was asleep, and he had things that he had to attend to, [and she said she wanted to sleep] so he left her there, though she was on his mind as he went about his business [mostly just Order-related things and such—nothing out of the ordinary].

He returned a few hours later to find Ayumi still asleep, but she was tossing and turning uncomfortably. Sometime between the time he had left and returned, Ayumi had covered herself, but she was still fully dressed; headpiece, shoes and all. Right now though, the only thing Orzon was concerned about was the well-being of Ayumi, and the look on her face indicated that she was dealing with a lot of stress.

He didn't want to wake her up, but did plan to get the information he wanted out of her, for it was also weighing down on his mind. It was natural for Orzon, her husband, to be concerned about her problems—The Troubles of Ayumi.


	72. Chapter 72: One Simple Reunion

Chapter 72: One Simple Reunion

Maric, Malak, and Tenoko all returned safely back to the base where the others were at. There they recounted their tale.

"So how did you get the Zuroc Sensei all off of you," Iresu asked,

"With these," Tenoko replied, pulling out a handful of the pirate coins she had dropped that had Azula stop the warriors.

"Captain Dragmire at your service," she said, bowing; "it turns out that I recognized that Azula Caroso after all under the alias of 'Lucy'. She was part of my crew back in the day."

"You were a pirate," Maric and Malak both exclaimed simultaneously,

"Aye," Tenoko replied, and judging from the reactions of most of the others, they were just as surprised as the twins were; "and Lucy was part of my crew; I didn't know her real name until I saw her face. It was then that I dropped the coins that she recognized, hoping that tactic would work. Luckily, it did, and so here we are."

"Aye," Malak added, "and this waterbender needs some sleep."

Eventually, Tenoko got the whole story explained. She was in fact, a pirate, and "The Blazing Phoenix" was her ship. She was its captain. Azula, AKA "Lucy" was one of her most loyal crew members. Most of her crew was Zuroc Sensei, male and female, and "The Blazing Phoenix" had been the scourge of the seas for a while.

A day or so later, the remainder of The Avatar Guard arrived, and each side was glad that the others were safe. They were all sad about Ryuka's death, but knew that it was not in vain. Naturally, all of them noticed the absence of Katara Altina II. Surprisingly, this did not last long, as later that evening, she appeared.

"Don't ask me any questions about what happened," she said bluntly, "I'm not only not in the mood to talk, but also not in the mood to answer anyone right now. I want to be alone."

Naturally, no one bothered to follow her except for her mother, who was probably the one person Katara II wanted to see the most, for she had seen Sokka more recently than her mother.

"Katara," she said, gently opening her door,

"I said I wanted to be alone," she replied tersely,

"Katara," said Katara I, "it's me—your mother."

Katara II sat up and looked her mother in the eye, "you don't sound the same," she said, "you've changed so much."

"So have you," she remarked, "you've grown so big. The last time I got to see you properly you were still just a little girl—now you're a young woman. You've grown up so much—it's been so long."

Katara I held out her arms, tears running down her face. Katara II was sobbing when she embraced her mother.

"I've needed you for so long," Katara II wailed, "you... you and Sokka... meant everything to me—knowing that I would see you two again..."

"But why Katara," said Katara I, "what was the idea behind the whole Dark Warrior scheme?" Sokka had come in by this time.

"I hate this war," Katara II cried, "I hate how much power I have. Everyone is trying to recruit me it seems. I don't want to take part in this madness. I want to be left alone. I want someone to get rid of my powers for me. I hate them, I don't want them, and I especially don't want to be used just because of them.

"I failed as a parent," Katara I said apologetically, "I was too busy worrying about my own problems to take care of you the way I should have. I didn't even comprehend that my own daughter had far worse, life-threatening problems than mine. I am not worthy to be called your mother, Katara. I am sorry."

"Then who is," Katara II wailed, "don't say that, mommy. Losing daddy was hard enough on me. I don't want to lose you again; I don't wanna; I don't wanna, I DON'T WANNA!"

"Katara I'm sorry," her mother said sadly, "it's just that you—you've been through so much; so much more than even your mother is able to comprehend, and you're only 15. It makes me feel so terrible knowing what you've had to suffer because of me. Please; please forgive me."

"Just don't say that I have to leave you," Katara II cried, "I couldn't accept that—I wouldn't."

"I'm not going anywhere this time, Katara," her mother said, squeezing young Katara tighter, "I promise."

All it took after this was Sokka to come in, and Katara's family needed no further words.

After hearing of Malak's return, Reyson was the 3rd person to be at her side [the 1st and 2nd being Maric and Tenoko]. Right now though, she was just resting alone. She was awake, lying in her bed, just gazing upwards when Reyson had walked in.

"Hey," he stammered, "you're, um—you're awake?"

"Aye," Malak replied, grabbing a bottle and chugging its contents. It looked like a bottle that once held something Tenoko would drink, but with the rate Malak was consuming it, Reyson assumed it had been filled with water; "I just feel really tired."

"Is there anything I can do" he asked,

"Well," said Malak, "It's one of those 'I'm tired but can't sleep' situations, so I guess if you want to just sit here and talk with me, I'd like that."

"I didn't know you liked to talk with people," Reyson remarked, "you've always liked being your own woman when you were around me."

"well," Malak stammered, her face going from its normal brown of her skin color, to pink, and then to red, almost matching Reyson's clothes; "it's just... err... with you, it's um... different."

Reyson chuckled slightly. Malak looked slightly annoyed.

"What's so funny," she said, still red,

"your face is as red as my clothes," Reyson chuckled, "Malak, either Maric was right about our crush, or you feel really, really awkward around me. If you do, just tell me. I'll leave you alone."

"It's kind of both," Malak stammered, "I... I really like you, but—I just feel awkward around you; like if I do something wrong you'll laugh at me or something; like I need to behave better or..."

"I..." Reyson exclaimed, "You look up to me like that?"

"I..." Malak stammered, "I... I do. You just seem like you're so... so flawless. And then there's... never mind."

"Me," Reyson faltered, "perfect? I don't think so, Malak. I've been living under cover all my life. I'm probably just as nervous as you are right now. I've just been taught how to hide it from showing up on my face like it is with yours. I'm terrible around people. You can ask the 6 people I know and they'd chuckle and say the same about me."

"How is that," Malak replied, "if I've been able to cling to your every word and believe you in every respect?"

"It's called love," said a voice, and both Reyson and Malak turned around to see Zakura grinning in the doorway. Malak bolted upright, though this time she was wearing loose pants and a jacket similar to Sanaki's, only blue.

"Ha-ha," Zakura laughed, "you two hold that pose. I need to get Katara to draw this. Your expressions right now are priceless."

Zakura, who was the master at making lovers feel awkward, had struck again. She knew that Katara wanted rest though, so when she left, she closed the door. That was Zakura's method of saying she wasn't going to come back for a little while.

"Do you think...?" Malak stammered, "is... is this what it is?"

"I..." said Reyson, "I guess so. I mean; are you alright with that?"

Malak was silent for a while. Reyson plucked up the courage to actually look her in the eyes, a feat which neither of them seemed capable of actually doing. At first Malak's eyes darted left, right, up, and down periodically, but then she too looked straight back at him.

"You alright?" he asked, and she shook her head, coming back to her senses. Apparently, her mind had wandered slightly.

"Um," she stuttered, "aye, I'm alright. It's just... I was thinking; putting everything together, and well... it just seems to fit, Reyson; it just seems to all fit. If that's what it is, then... then I..."

"You what," Reyson asked gently; by this point he could have easily predicted what she was trying to say, and knew that it was probably taking just as much courage from her to not turn away and falter as it was for him to wait for her verdict.

"I..." she stuttered again, "then I... then..."

Reyson looked at her, and calculated her reactions. She was hiding her expression well, but Reyson, whose hand had clasped Malak's sometime between the time he had sat down next to her and now, could feel her blood surging frantically through her body.

"Relax, Malak," he said gently squeezing her hand, "I'm not going to do anything you wouldn't like. I love you, Malak. And as such, I could never do anything you were uncomfortable with."

Although Malak was unable to successfully convey the phrase "I love you" like she had been trying to, she was able to say one thing after she threw her arms around Reyson.

"I love you too," she said, looking him in the eyes.

"Then I want to give you something to remember it by," he said, "just close your eyes and relax."

Malak did as she was told. Reyson gently put his hands on either side of his face, and brought her lips to his. Once they had connected his arms slide gently around her, his gentle touch reminiscent of his caring personality. All of this had come from the impact of One Simple Reunion.


	73. Chapter 73: There Was No Turning Back

Chapter 73: There Was No Turning Back

A day or two passed and Ayumi's condition remained the same. This was bothering Orzon to a vast extreme. Ayumi seemed very hesitant to talk about it as well, as it worried her.

The other prominent Order members [with Michiko and Fukuda as exceptions; they just seemed indifferent] were also bothered about this, but not for the same reason Orzon was—they were only concerned about having Ayumi present for her intellectual expertise. This bothered Orzon even more.

"My wife is not a machine," he said stiffly, "and if she says she's ill, and is willing to pull this all, I'm for believing it's not an act. My priorities lie with her welfare before The Order. It is a huge organization that has been around for centuries, Xin Shing. The absence of one member, no matter how prominent, will not be its downfall."

Ayumi was up and walking, but she seemed to be limping, and her royal upright posture was long gone. Her face looked tired, and she looked like she might fall over at any given moment. Naturally, Orzon decided to summon a physician to find out what was wrong with her. His conclusion was a relief to him, but meant that he was going to have to have a long talk with Ayumi after this.

"Physically, she's perfectly healthy," he concluded, "she just seems to be stressing about something. I would recommend to her to try and ease up, as too much more mental stress on your mind will cause permanent damage, and possibly even death."

Needless to say, Orzon took Ayumi into their room to talk about this.

"Ayumi," he said, looking her in the eye. He looked completely concerned, maybe even a bit worried as well, "tell me what the matter is. I don't want to lose you, and your stress is killing you. You heard what the physician said. Tell me what's wrong, Ayumi. I want to help you."

"You're going to hate me after this," she said, tears running down her face, "I can't tell you what it is; it's ripping me in half."

"Tell me," said Orzon, a little more forceful, "I can't lose you over this, Ayumi. How bad is this?"

"Really bad," Ayumi replied, trembling, "I was taken to the spirit world a few evenings ago. I... I met Sanaki Li Chan."

"THE Sanaki Li Chan;" Orzon exclaimed, and then paused.

"Ayumi," he said, "you're shivering. Are you alright?"

"No," she said truthfully, "no, not at all. I'm scared; torn, and no one in the world is able to help me."

"What are you talking about, Ayumi," Orzon exclaimed,

"The things Sanaki told me..." she shuddered, "they destroyed me. I... I don't deserve to keep this a secret from you any longer. This is my tale, from 3 nights ago, when I first fell ill."

Ayumi found herself face to face with Sanaki Li Chan, the woman who perhaps is still known today as the greatest ruler in history.

"You one time said that you wanted to meet me," said Sanaki, "and so here I am, Lady Ayumi. I am Sanaki Li Chan, whose heritage you proudly have claimed—and yet, you bring the name to shame with your actions."

Ayumi stopped. "WHAT!?!" she bellowed, "me?"

"My greatest friend was the mother of an avatar," Sanaki replied, "to see one of my most gifted descendants trying now to kill a later incarnation of her breaks my little heart. I might have grown older, Ayumi, but deep down, I am the same little child I always have been. You were not much different, Lady Ayumi. I remember you over 35 years ago, when you were a little 14-year-old girl. You were m=not much different than I am now. In fact, you probably resemble me the most at this point in time. I was proud of you—and then you started to change; The Order got to you, and it broke my heart.

"What business is it of yours what I do with my life," Ayumi snapped,

"None at all," Sanaki replied with her same gentle voice, "and if you have not noticed, I have never interfered with your life until your 49th year, which is why we are here now. I believe that you wanted to see me, and so I came. Here we are."

"You..." said Ayumi, pausing, "you are ashamed of me?"

"Aye," said Sanaki sadly, "intellect like yours could be used to end the madness that is this war. The Li Chan family had always been a peaceful family, Ayumi. I am sorry you went astray."

"What do you expect me to do," Ayumi snapped, "how do I redeem myself?"

"I don't expect anything," said Sanaki, "I am simply telling things the way they are. There is no need to redeem your self. I am merely a spirit and a memory. No one worries about what I think. I've been deceased for over 1200 years, Ayumi."

"But knowing that my ancestor looks down shamefully upon me," said Ayumi, "I'd never be able to live that down."

"then perhaps look at the girl that will most likely wind up looking like you when she is older," said Sanaki, showing Ayumi a little 17-year-old girl clad in red, who was giggling and playing with her long black hair, "take after the example of Sanaki Foxx; become innocent again; submissive; humble; caring; loving; kind—become someone to lean on—someone that wants to make the world a better place."

"Forsake everything," Ayumi exclaimed, "leave home just like that?"

"Avatar Zakura did just that," said Sanaki, "she left everything behind and went out into a world where everyone was her enemy. She had to work to be accepted."

"And I..." said Ayumi, "I'm supposed to do that?"

"Not if you don't want to," said Sanaki, "I am just saying what the results would be. You can be whatever you want at this point. It is not for me, a spirit, to decide the life of anyone, even my descendants."

"Everything," said Ayumi, "everything I've lived for then is a lie; everything I've worked towards achieving; everything I cherished, everyone I had befriended, EVERYTHING!!!"

"The decision is yours, Ayumi Zhaoka," said Sanaki gently, and the next thing Ayumi knew, she had let out a bloodcurdling scream and was wide awake. This was when it had all started.

"So let me get this straight," said Orzon, "she told you to leave everything; to... to switch sides!?!"

Ayumi was shaking violently at this point. She nodded, and then braced herself for a blow of some sort. However, Orzon's love for Ayumi trumped his concern for The Order.

"Like Sanaki Li Chan said," said Orzon, "the choice is yours. I am not going to influence you either way, as Sanaki seems to have done it for you. Trying to join them after the things you have done would be difficult, and leaving us would result in almost everyone being your enemy. However, whatever choice you make, I will respect it. Choose what you feel is right. It was how I chose you as my bride many years ago.

Even if we do meet each other as enemies on the battlefield, I will never bring you any harm. I will always love you."

"What do you feel is the right choice," Ayumi asked, still shivering, "what would you do if you were placed in my situation and I in yours?"

"I would choose whichever choice made me feel right inside, even if it was not the seemingly better one."

"And then Katara," said Ayumi, sobbing at this point, "During Sanaki's speech to me, I was reminded of something she said. She said: 'this war is madness. All I will say about the matter is that the side that is not fighting for the right cause will eventually be left with nothing.' Then I had that realization; I can't be like this. I was dwelling on that when I was with The Avatar Guard. I met Zakura on a more personal level. When I defeated their tactician, it hurt me even further. There was no fight when I killed Ryuka. It was all part of a higher plan.

"So you feel that you are on the wrong side," said Ryuka,

"I..." Ayumi stammered, "I do. I regret the things that I've done; the more I've' been around you all, the more I've realized who the real "good people" were. The hostility was expected considering who I was; but now... I can't do this much longer, Ryuka. Help me; please."

"There is only one thing that can be done that would not make the Avatar Guard suspicious then," said Ryuka, his tactical genius coming into play one last time; "you have to kill me. Then, use as much of your energy as possible to get the hell out of here as fast as you can' don't give the soldiers any time to react, as they will attack if they can catch you. Do you understand me?"

"Aye," said Ayumi, trembling, "I... I understand."

"Then carry it out," said Ryuka, my purpose in this life has been accomplished. It has fizzled into nothing. Finish me, Ayumi."

"And that was what happened," said Ayumi, finishing her tale, "he went down, I made a break for it, and here I am. If anyone had word on what I was trying to do, they would have killed me."

"So you are going to do this then?" said Orzon,

"I have no choice," said Ayumi, "me staying here is what it stressing me out. What will you do?"

"I will keep it a secret as long as possible," said Orzon, kissing Ayumi on the lips, "I will also take a stance like Michiko and Fukuda—I'm going to go for the ride. If word gets out that we both have dropped out, it's over for us both. You go; I promise we will see each other again."

Ayumi embraced him, sobbing frantically. If she really did continue with this operation, she knew that there was No Turning Back.


	74. Chapter 74: Orzon and Ayumi

Chapter 74: Orzon and Ayumi

A day passed, as Ayumi prepared to leave for good. The hardest part about this for her was her knowing that she would be apart from Orzon for a long period of time. Orzon became aware of this, and he did not like it, for he could tell that Ayumi was stressing again.

"Ayumi," said Orzon, "if you carry this on the effect is still going to be the same. What's wrong this time?"

"It's you," she said, "I don't want to leave you. I hated being apart from you even during my week with The Avatar Guard. I decided to annoy them to get my mind off of you. I don't want to leave your side."

"Do you realize," said Orzon, "that if I come with you, that The Order will be after us both and will skin us alive if we are caught?"

"I..." Ayumi sniffled, "I understand that you can't."

"On the contrary," said Orzon, "if you desire me to be with you, then with you I shall be. I have always said that my love for you would come before anything else. I am not making an exception, even at a crucial time like this where we are going to lose everything. If you don't think you'd be able to handle this task alone, it is why I am here."

"I don't want you leaving my side," Ayumi declared,

"Then it is official," said Orzon, putting his arm around Ayumi, "I'm going with you. I love you, Ayumi. I never want you to be in any danger."

Ayumi had no need to answer. A simple movement of her lips to his was all that she needed.

It was several minutes before they pulled back, and when they did, Orzon was on top of Ayumi on their sofa [though they were both still dressed].

"You look tired, Ayumi" said Orzon, "perhaps that stress might be a part of it though."

"Aye," Ayumi replied, "I'm ready for sleep either way; especially if this is our last night here."

"Then we shall retire early, and depart early," Orzon replied, "the fewer people that know about it, the better off we will be."

"Indeed," Ayumi replied, heading up to her bedroom, and then she suddenly paused, turning around to face Orzon.

"I know where we can go," she said,

"Really now," Orzon exclaimed, "and where would that be?"

"The Blazing Phoenix," Ayumi replied, "it was the ship that I picked up Azula's crew on. I hired them after learning who they were. She knows Tenoko Dragmire. If there is any member of The Avatar Guard that will wide with me, it's her."

"I heard she was on good terms with Fukuda and Michiko as well," Orzon remarked, "perhaps that is our answer."

"I hired them for that reason," Ayumi replied, "because I knew them."

"I'm glad you're happy again, Ayumi," said Orzon, "seeing you happy makes me happy. I love you, and I always will."

"I love you too," Ayumi replied, kissing his lips again, "never forget it."

"That would be a crime against the most beautiful woman on the face of this world," Orzon replied, "I could never, and would never."

Ayumi threw herself into Orzon's arms, and he gently lifted her up, cradling her almost like a child. he smiled down at Ayumi, who had closed her eyes and was smiling more peacefully than Orzon had seen her smile in a long time, and for the first time in a very long time, it was not an evil smile—this was a happy smile; a true smile.

She fell asleep in Orzon's arms. He sat down in a rocking chair, still cradling Ayumi liker she was the most delicate treasure in the world. To Orzon though, she really was.

Early the next morning, there was activity in The Avatar Guard's base. It was Tenoko this time though, and it seemed that her "warrior" outfit was also what she wore at sea. She was going to sneak out to reunite with her ship, for she had received a message from Azula in an unusual way that told her they had the ship ready. Tenoko was just about to slip out when she heard a voice.

"Where are you going," it asked; it was low and raspy;

"Katara," Tenoko exclaimed, "what are you doing awake at this hour?"

"Blame it on my bending energy," Katara replied, "bloody thing wakes me up all the time. After that I just decided to sit down. What now, may I ask, are YOU doing awake at this hour?"

"I have business to attend to," said Tenoko,

"This early in the morning;" Katara exclaimed, "Do tell,"

"Telling you would mean I would have to knock you out and take you with me," Tenoko warned,

"Ha," Katara chuckled, "I'd like to see you try that right now,"

"Alright," said Tenoko, grabbing Katara around her throat and cupping her other hand across her mouth. Katara began struggling, but was short on energy because she had just gotten back from unleashing copious amounts of it. Tenoko lifted her off the ground and she began kicking and struggling for air. She was a strong young woman, and if it weren't for the exact tactic used, she might have stood a chance at pulling Tenoko's hand off of her nose and mouth, but because of the technique, and her weak state at the moment, she continued struggling.

"Give up yet," she asked, and Katara violently shook her head and seemed to be getting angry. She obviously could not speak, but Tenoko did not mind. She also wouldn't mind taking Katara with her because of who she was. Unfortunately, that was what Katara hated. However, Tenoko had warned her that she would do that, and Katara had challenged it, and so Tenoko was simply proving her point.

Katara continued struggling to get proper amounts of air into her exhausted body, but her kicking and thrashing were doing nothing against Tenoko. Tenoko again asked her if she had had enough, but Katara's pride was kicking in, and she refused to bend, despite her knowing she was not going to be able to escape. She screamed into Tenoko's hand, but it was muffled enough to not be loud. She continued thrashing and screaming madly, very similar to the way she had before she had calmed down. She began to turn purple, and eventually blue, and eventually went unconscious, where Tenoko let her go.

Without a word, she hoisted Katara over her shoulder and left to get to her ship. She had left a note to Iresu and Zeruda about her location and what she was doing. Her intent was actually to go meet a few old friends from the Northern Water Tribe. Ultimately, Tenoko wanted to turn The Order against itself, and the influence of "Lucy" [Azula] and Captain Dragmire might be able to do just that.

However, Tenoko was in for a huge surprise when she met Azula at the Northern Bay where her ship was. With her and her crew were none other than Orzon and Ayumi.

"Spirits have mercy," she exclaimed, and she actually dropped Katara; "h-how did you two get here; take my ship; get Azula to join you?"

"It was their idea," said Azula, "come aboard, they'll tell you everything."

"Are you nuts, Lucy," Tenoko exclaimed, "They'll roast me alive!"

"Aye, of course I'm nuts, Captain Dragmire," she replied, "Just get over here; oh, and don't forget that girl that you dropped."

Tenoko hoisted the still-unconscious Katara over her shoulder and came aboard. Ayumi glanced at Orzon and then Orzon spoke.

"Hand me Katara," he said, and Tenoko, still uneasy about disobeying, not knowing the alignment of their crew, did so.

"Tenoko," said Ayumi, "get over here."

Tenoko did so again without question. Ayumi's response was immediately launching her fist into Tenoko's face, making her stagger backwards.

"Do you really think that if we were all against you that we would be this easy-going about it?" she said, laughing and blowing on her fist, "to make a long story short, we switched sides. We're here to fight for you now, which were why we came here."

"We will be glad to explain it to you later, Tenoko Dragmire," said Orzon politely, "but right now we need to be leaving if you want us as your allies. The moment word gets out of our betrayal everyone's going to be after us."

"Trust me, Captain Dragmire," said Azula, "they..."

"Call me Tenoko," Tenoko shrugged, chuckling.

"Alright, Tenoko," said Azula again, "trust me on this. I'll tell the whole story later, but they're right. We need to launch the ship or else they'll know we've been here and that we plundered a nearby Order village".

"Brilliant," said Tenoko, chuckling. She took Katara from Orzon and grinned at them both.

"My Lord, My Lady," she said to them both, bowing slightly, "welcome to The Blazing Phoenix. What's mine is yours; make your selves at home."

"Thank you," they said simultaneously, bowing Fire Nation style; and then they left to their rooms. Despite being pirates, Tenoko's ship was very nice; it was like a metal Fire Nation Warship, only it was more of a Water Tribe ship if anything, as if they had adopted the Fire Nation's technology. Tenoko nonetheless went to her Captain's quarters, where shrugging, she dropped Katara onto the floor, and she began snoring loudly. It turned out she had come back around and fallen asleep sometime between the time Tenoko knocked her out and now.

Tenoko herself went to sleep, deep in thought. She trusted Azula, and hopefully would be able to trust Orzon and Ayumi.


	75. Chapter 75: Xin Shing's Tower Guard

Chapter 75: Xin Shing's Tower Guard

Katara came around in the room of a ship, which was obviously Tenoko's. She groggily looked around and tried to remember what happened. Then she remembered. Tenoko had turned against her; but why?

She decided to find out. She recognized the ship at once, for she had been shanghaied onto it before, by a pirate named Lucy. As a result, she knew where to find the captain's quarters, and so she stormed into Tenoko's quarters. She was asleep on a hammock, which when Katara kicked the door open, made enough noise to startle her and have her hit the ground with a loud thump.

"Crikey," she exclaimed, massaging her head, "what was that for?"

"Why did you bring me back here," Katara demanded, "what did I do to deserve this fate?"

"Chill, kid," Tenoko shrugged, "remember; you were the one who challenged me. You wanted to try your luck, and so I had to bring you with me. It's part of a scheme to trick The Order. Ayumi and Orzon's presence here only makes it all the better."

"Orzon and Ayumi are here," Katara exclaimed, "what side are you on?"

"I did not switch sides, Toph," Tenoko remarked, using the nickname her and her crew had given Katara; Katara was nicknamed "Toph" because of a young girl over 1000 years ago who had borne that name. She was very strong, a very powerful bender, and never lost a fight. Katara was the same way, which was why the pirates had taken her in the first place.

"Really then," said Katara, "then why did you just desert the rest of The Avatar Guard, come join a ship full of pirates, and recruit Fire Lord Orzon and Fire Lady Ayumi?"

"You really are a smart child, Toph" Tenoko remarked, "You ask questions that I asked myself before leaving. I alerted my fellow Secret Service members Iresu and Zeruda where I was going. The Order knows that I am associated with a notorious bounty hunter and Zuroc Sensei named Azula Caroso. You might remember her as Lucy."

"LUCY," Katara roared, "she was the woman who kidnapped me the first time; I was only 13 years old... get me out of here."

She stormed out of Tenoko's quarters, but unfortunately, they were already deep at sea, and Katara couldn't swim at all. She should see them getting more distant from the Fire Nation mainland, which meant they were still in the large bay area inside the gates of Azulon.

"We have a reason for everything, Katara Altina II," said a low voice, belonging to Azula, who put her hand on Katara's shoulder;

"Get away from me," Katara growled, "I don't want anything to do with you; you were the one who kidnapped me the first time."

"I can see why Lynn told Captain Dragmire to call you Toph," said Azula, chuckling, "you're as stubborn as the earthbending legend herself. Look, Toph; we had a reason for taking you;"

"That's what everyone says," Katara snapped, "everyone claims to have a reason to try to draft me into their forces and help them with their schemes. I don't want any part of it. I just want to be left alone; I want to live my own life—away from this war. I'm only 15."

"Now you're speaking our language," said Tenoko, who had stepped out next to Azula and Katara. "There's some younglings on this ship, you know, but that's not the point, so don't snap at me for that."

"I'll do what I want," Katara growled, her arms crossed on the railing of the ship, her face buried in them, her eyes looking out to sea;

"Katara, chill," said Tenoko, "hear me out or spirits help me I'll throw you overboard. That's another reason you worked well with the name Toph. You can't swim either."

Katara just grumbled.

"Toph," said another voice, this one belonging to a boy of about 16; this was 'Lynn' as they called him, "hear them out. I was thinking the same thing when they took you. I thought "why would they want to shanghai a young teenaged girl?"

"How would I know that," said Katara, "I—"

"But then I met you," Lynn continued, "I understood why they tried to keep you hidden; Toph, everyone I knew from The Order is after you; and yet—" he paused to take a deep breath,

"I've been keeping this from you too long, Katara," he said,

"When did you start using my real name," she exclaimed,"

"Since I learned it," Lynn replied, "that boy you met 3 years ago that disappeared into the war—was me, Katara; Rafai Lynn—that novice earthbender who wanted to join the Zuroc Sensei."

Katara stopped. "So you..." she exclaimed, "You didn't die..."

"Nope," he said, smirking, "I'm still alive. And while you were down and out some of the guys and I had a word with those firebenders. They wanted to talk to you about some things. Oh, and I loved that dress you used to wear. You'll have to wear it again sometime..."

Katara smiled. The fact that this was the boy whom Katara had loved a year or two ago before he had mysteriously vanished was the only thing that motivated Katara to go talk to Orzon and Ayumi at this time. She still figured that they had something to do with this, and that they had not entirely converted over from The Order.

"What do you want," she snapped upon entering,

"Sit down," Ayumi said calmly, "we just want to talk."

Katara sighed. "What do you want from me," she asked.

"Your allegiance," Ayumi replied, "think—Tenoko is as stubborn as an Earth Kingdom soldier. She didn't switch sides—we did. We gave up everything—even our titles as Fire Lord and Lady. After doing that, we had a brief glimpse of what Zakura felt—except she had no friends. We had to give ours all up."

"You are not the only one who has no one now, Katara," said Orzon, "but like you, we want this war to be over."

"I'm not doing any more fighting," Katara said resolutely,

"We did not ask you to," said Orzon, "we merely asked if you would accept us that we're no longer your enemies."

"I..." Katara started, "this quickly? I... I think I need a little bit more time to mull this over. I'm still mad at Tenoko for taking me again—this time away from my family too. No one knows I left."

"You miss your family again, don't you," said Orzon gently, bringing Katara closer to him. She paused for a moment and then suddenly broke down in Orzon's arms.

"I do," she whimpered, "I felt so much happier when I was with them"

"I was aware of that," said Ayumi, "and you had a lot of impact on my decision, young Katara. And think: helping us will end up helping you. Help us end this war. We have everything on the line for it to end. If our scheme against Xin Shing fails, then we will all be killed. This is a life and death situation, Katara. We need you."

"But are the others going to accept you two," she said, "particularly you, Ayumi. Do you think that they're going to automatically let everything go and accept you into their group?"

"Not at all," Ayumi replied, "but getting through to their leader is all we need to do. The story I can share relates to Avatar Zakura's. She lost everything, and so did we. The world was against her; the world is against us now. I believe I could probably convince her. Tenoko has already sided with me, and although she follows the lead of Iresu and Zeruda, they listen to her when she talks."

"What about Azula's gang," Katara asked,

"They work for the highest bidder," Ayumi replied, "but certain people they will not hunt down; they refused to hunt down the avatar or anyone related to or friends with Iresu, Zeruda, or Tenoko. They're quick-witted, Katara. You fit right in."

"And you supposed that you two don't," said a voice; Tenoko and Azula had come in.

"There was a reason I was quick to accept you, Ayumi" said Tenoko, "because I know when you're playing a game; I didn't see it that time. Besides, with you on our side, we can end this war much sooner than expected. You two are prominent figures."

"I know," Orzon replied, "and after Ayumi's remarks to me about her feelings on all of this, we realized that we were in fact on the wrong side. We owe The Avatar guard an apology of two."

"Then it is decided," said Azula, "We are going to end this war or die trying. We are almost to the mouth of the river, Tenoko. From there we will be able to approach Xin Shing's lair—The Tower of Order."

Katara suddenly looked up.

"I met Xin Shing once," she said, "he gave me the usual spiel about power, but I suddenly figured how I could use it against him. He works with treachery and betrayal. All it would take would be a rehash of the Dark Warrior scheme again, and I could fit right in to his Tower Guard."

"Tower Guard," Azula, Ayumi, Orzon, and Tenoko all exclaimed, and Katara looked at them all with a confused expression on her face.

"He never told any of you," she exclaimed, "not even you Orzon; Ayumi?"

They all shook their heads.

"This could be harder than I thought then," said Katara, looking slightly nervous, "before we can reach him and end this war, we need to meet with The Avatar Guard. We need to plan how to get past Xin Shing's Tower Guard."


	76. Chapter 76: Time Is Diminishing

Chapter 76: Time Is Diminishing

The next morning, Iresu and Zeruda were explaining to the others what had happened to Tenoko and what had happened to Katara II [or so they presumed, and those that did assume this assumed correctly].

"She said that anyone awake that she ran into she was going to nab," said Iresu after their explanation,

"Which probably means that she nabbed Katara Altina II," said Zeruda, "She was always awake at unusual times."

Suddenly though, their conversation was cut slightly short as someone jumped right into the middle of their circle, shaking the ground. It was Meili, her fist still in the ground.

"Has anyone else ever noticed that Vigo never talks?" she commented. It was quite random, but it was true.

"Seriously," she said, "up to this point, he's sort of just been "there"; fighting beside us."

"Why not find out for your self, Meili," said Zeruda, who clearly was trying to shake her off. Incidentally, she accepted the challenge and left to go search for him. This was where Zeruda continued.

"Tenoko said that she and her crew were going to scope out Xin Shing's Tower," she continued, "and that she wanted us to make our way towards that same location by this time tomorrow. Are there any questions, comments, or concerns about this?"

No one seemed to have any, and so preparations were beginning to be made. There was little to do other than strategize, and that was where Zeruda and Iresu became especially useful, as Ryuka was gone.

Meili, meanwhile, true to her word, went to find Vigo. She found him soon enough, and decided to be annoying, a skill that she was well-adept at.

"Can you talk?" she asked bluntly, sensing him start, and he turned around quickly to see who had just addressed him. Meili grinned.

Vigo did not answer at first, but then shook his head. Meili, determined to get him to speak, stood there waiting for a reply. She repeated her question, pretending she did not sense him shaking his head. Again, he made the same movement.

"Are you going to answer me?" Meili asked, "Because keep in mind that I can't see a thing you're doing. I'm blind."

Vigo, who was nearly as stubborn as Meili, did not respond again.

"I'm going to keep bugging you until you talk," Meili taunted, and true to her word, she did. She wasn't doing anything that involved too much contact, but she was constantly talking and occasionally poking him, making stupid or witty remarks here and there.

Eventually Vigo could no longer stand it.

"Will you can it already?" he roared; his voice was very deep—he could have easily passed off as a grown man if her was taller and decided to grow out his facial hair.

"Aye," said Meili, grinning smugly, "now that I know you can talk, I'll be glad to shut up—"

Vigo interrupted by clasping his hand over Meili's mouth.

"I meant it," he snapped, but Meili just chuckled. All Vigo's hand did was muffle it a little bit. Meili pushed his hand away.

"If you want to go, there's an arena outside," she remarked,

"No thanks," Vigo shrugged, his hands back at his sides, "I don't need the bragging rights of defeating a blind girl who is partially deaf."

Meili seemed insulted; not because Vigo had called her blind, but because from her understanding, all she was to him was a 'blind girl'. Meili was a cocky young lady, and this had injured her pride.

"Blind; partially deaf; who cares; I'm still incredibly awesome, and if you want me to, I'll prove it by kicking your butt, 'coz I'm Meili Meisha: The Smash Master!"

"I guess I'll SEE you out there then," said Vigo, smirking. Naturally, Meili followed him. Vigo was still in his warrior's clothes, and like all Earth Kingdom Warriors, he was barefoot. Meili was as well, and they both had hats similar to Zakura's.

Upon reaching the arena, Vigo removed his hat and shirt, his bare feet moving across the stone ground of the arena. He awaited Meili's move. She removed her hat and shirt and was ready for the competition to start. One thing Vigo did observe was that Meili was somewhat muscular as well—she could have passed off as Zakura's relative easily. Nonetheless, he was never one to stop and stare.

"At your ready," he said, taking a stance. Meili took a stance as well, and even her stance was much like Zakura's. It seemed that Zakura had been Meili's teacher at some point.

Both Meili and Vigo were defensive benders, and so they sort of both had to step out of their element to get the sparring match going. Both of them did, and soon they were both rapidly chucking huge rocks at each other. Both being prodigies, they were both Earth Rumble material [or so said a young Kyoshi Warrior (one who had recently married a Fire Nation soldier) who had stopped to watch them without them knowing], and it made a rather entertaining show.

Taki, the Kyoshi Warrior who had peered in, snuck back out and came back a few minutes later with a few friends (such as Cheng, Zakura, Royota, Koara, Lehran, [Altina], and even Sanaki).

Both of them were very skilled. Their fancy footwork and powerful fists kept them from getting hit and enabled them to continuously launch powerful attacks at the other person. Vigo would send a wall of earth at Meili, Meili would jump up, smash it with her fist, and then shake the ground when her feet hit. Vigo jumped, kicking up a rock in the process, which he kicked towards Meili. Meili shattered it and reflected the shards back at Vigo, who in turn brought up a wall of rock to avoid getting peppered by the pieces of rock Meili had thrown.

Moments after this, he kicked it towards her, having it split as to cover more ground. Meili spiraled over it, smashing through one of the sections with her fist. She was still in midair. Upon landing, she brought up 4 walls of earth around her, jumped up, kicked two of them away, and then kicked the other two away. Vigo blocked it with a powerful rock wall of his own.

It soon became apparent that these two were equally matched, as neither one had landed a hit on the other one, and they both had stringed their moves together flawlessly. They both knew that they were not perfect, but the moves they did know they knew well. They decided to call it a draw. Slinging their shirts over their shoulders, they made to go back inside, Meili's persistence in having Vigo talk with her eventually making him cave. Those who had been watching them didn't follow them, because they knew that Meili in particular would beat anyone up that she felt like [for bar Zuki, Zakura, and probably Zinjamyn, Meili was one of the strongest people there].

"Heh," Meili chuckled as they walked back inside, neither of them putting their shirts back on, "you really ARE pretty good; almost as good as me I might wager, you know?"

"You really are a cocky little punk, you know that," Vigo remarked, hitting Meili's arm, "I don't see how people put up with you—you seem an awful lot like Zakura."

Meili didn't know what Vigo was implying, and as a result, she said nothing. She followed Vigo into one of the back rooms, where he put his shirt back on. Meili slumped into one of the soft chairs in one of the corners, feeling down. She secretly had a crush on Vigo, but she wasn't sure if he liked her back.

"Zak and I are on pretty good terms," she remarked, and again fell silent;

"I know you are," Vigo replied, "and I was surprised that people liked her, the same way I was surprised that people liked you—especially because I was one of those people."

"Hark who's talking," said Meili, now playing an offensive card, "you're the one to call me hard to like? This is the boy who hasn't even talked to anyone else here."

Vigo grumbled. Meili's partial deafness didn't enable her to hear this.

"Hey," he said, "there was another reason why I talked to you. It wasn't just to shut you up, though you were being really annoying back there. I talked to you because... because I..."

Vigo choked on the words but couldn't get them out. Meili awaited his response, her ears perked.

"...because I thought you were cute," he stammered, "and I noticed that you'd always seem to be close by me—I almost felt like you had a crush on me. Did you? Why did you hold back?"

"I'm no Sanaki Foxx," Meili replied, "I'm not that outgoing either."

"maybe we'll have to get to know each other sooner or later then," Vigo remarked, "'coz I don't think now is the time exactly; I mean: we're about to head off to war; perhaps on the journey there or something."

"That sounds good," Meili shrugged, standing up and putting her shirt back on, "I don't know—it just almost seemed too sudden."

"That's what I was thinking," Vigo replied, "and though it must've worked for Cheng and Taki, I don't want any relationship of mine to move that fast. I'm not sure about you."

"Eh," Meili shrugged, "you pretty much hit me spot on. Anyways, I think we should go out and find out if there's anything we can do as far as preparations go. This is most likely to be the last battle, and if that really is the case, then Time Is Diminishing."


	77. Chapter 77: We Are The Avatar Guard

Chapter 77: We Are The Avatar Guard

The Avatar Guard got their preparations made in a timely manner, and so their next objective was to get to Xin Shing's Tower.

"Do you really think Tenoko's gang will be able to infiltrate the defenses?" Alzar asked, directing it at Iresu

"That idiot can get Zeruda drunk," Iresu replied, laughing, "she's a genius. I guarantee she would. I'd trust Tenoko Dragmire with my life."

"I served under Captain Dragmire once," said Zakura, "it was only a few years ago too. You recall my sudden departure, do you not?"

"Aye," Zinjamyn replied, "so you ran off and became a pirate?"

"That's one way to put it," Zakura chuckled, "but aye, I've seen how Tenoko operates, and she seems to always be on top of things."

"I hope you're right," said another voice, this one belonging to Katara I; "she has my baby. I don't want to lose her again."

"Tenoko's met your daughter before, Katara," said Zakura, "besides; she's a smart young woman. I'm pretty sure she's only going to follow Tenoko if she wants to. She's stubborn."

"That's the way, Katara," Sokka muttered, "that's the way."

It was not much later that the entire group had boarded a ship that was set to follow The Blazing Phoenix in order to reach Xin Shing's Tower.

"So," said Mulan, as they set off, "how are we going to get past the Tower Guard; or are we expecting Tenoko and Azula's gang to do that for us?" her tone was not rude, for she was not intending it to be rude.

"Hold it," Iresu exclaimed, "the what?"

Mulan raised an eyebrow. "None of you have heard of Xin Shing's Tower Guard?" she exclaimed, "no one at all?"

There was dead silence. The only one to say that they knew was Kimiko.

"Xin Shing's Tower Guard," she muttered, "I'll never forget that group. Their leader is an Admiral named Feng Shogo. He was the one who had my family executed. He's there, and I'm going to be the one to fight him or die trying."

"How do you know he is there?" Zakura asked,

"Because he's their leader," Kimiko replied, "and everyone, including his Tower Guard, is all just pawns in his operation. My prison cell must have been in an area where those idiots didn't think I could hear them if they talked and boasted loudly. I heard a lot of things. Among the things I heard was Feng bragging that he had been promoted to the position of Tower Guard Leader. Naturally, none of those other clods knew what it was, so he had to explain it so he could brag."

"What exactly are we up against?" The Four Benders all asked, though they were mostly looking at Mulan, who seemed to have had firsthand experience, as opposed to hearing it from soldiers like Kimiko had;

"Xin Shing's best," Mulan replied, "sort of like our opposites. If we're Zakura's elite, then the Tower Guard is Xin Shing's elite. Ryuka's division 79 should be amongst them."

"Hold it," Zeruda snapped, "Ryuka was a traitor?"

"No, not at all," Mulan replied, "that's my fault—bad wording. Ryuka's 79th Division was directed to go to a 'tower', so I assume that Ryuka had also known. He was always a secretive man, am I correct?"

"Aye," Zakura replied, "his old motto was 'if I can take care of it without anyone else knowing, then it's all the better.' I never understood him."

"This does seem to make him slightly more understandable though," Iresu remarked, "for if these are really Xin Shing's elite, then their forces will need to be weakened. Like Ryuka, Division 79 has always bragged that they were willing to die for their cause."

"I guess we'll find out when we get there how effective they were," said Royota, "unless we get word from Tenoko."

It was as if Royota had timed his statement, for right as he finished saying that, someone [a young waterbender, therefore Malak] pointed at a hawk coming towards them. Easily distinguishable as a messenger hawk, Zeruda's keen eyes pointed out that it belonged to Tenoko.

The hawk was coming towards Zakura, who held out her arm. The bird landed, handing Zakura the message, which was stamped with a pirate seal. This was definitely one of Tenoko's crazy shenanigans.

"Zak," Zakura read aloud, "we are pirates. We are coming for you, so surrender your treasure. Ha-ha-ha; just kidding;"

She paused, rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Stupid idiot is clearly drunk," Zakura laughed, showing the message to Iresu, Zeruda, and the others; the handwriting seemed to be an accurate indicator of this. Nonetheless, Zakura continued.

"We made it to the tower. Aye, we have Katara Altina II and she's proven invaluable. It turns out that her old boyfriend or something was on this ship, and he helped in my operation a lot as well. Anyways, it looks like Division 79 has done their work, since there is no one outside of the tower and there are signs of retreat inward. Other than that, we've got Orzon and Ayumi fighting for us and..."

Zakura stopped and re-read that line at least 6 times.

"Blazes," she exclaimed, "ORZON; AYUMI; WITH THEM?!? What is this?!?"

"You certainly took it well," said Iresu, gently taking the scroll from Zakura and looking at it. She read the next line.

"...and they're completely different," said Iresu, finishing the sentence that Zakura had left off on, "I know Ayumi's games like the awesome drunk waterbender that I am, and this isn't one of them. They've told me their story and everything. Aye, we have the Fire Lord and Lady on our sides, which means we have this thing pretty much sealed. With them, Katara agreeing to pull another Dark Warrior stunt, and a few other double-edged tactics, we'll be able to reduce The Order's membership to Xin Shing alone. If Orzon and Ayumi betray us, that's what we have Katara here for. The fact that she trusts them means that anyone can. Anyways, that's about all I feel like writing you all for now, because there's a drink on my table that needs my immediate attention. With regards, ~Tenoko Dragmire~"

Iresu laughed. "I'll never understand that woman," she said, chuckling, "but you do realize that she's expecting us to trust her, and to trust Orzon and Ayumi Zhaoka as well, do you not?"

"Aye," Zakura replied, "and now that I think of it, I think I can side with them. If they've really done that, that means they probably had to forsake everything; to go out into the world not knowing if they'd be accepted, knowing that everyone is now out to get them—us, for the things they've done, and The Order for their betrayal."

"This is the woman who murdered Ryuka," said Zinjamyn, "I think Tenoko's too drunk to notice what's going on."

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Zinj," said Alzar, "Ayumi is treacherous. She's played games like this before; recently, in fact."

"I side with Zakura," said Iresu, "if Tenoko trusts her, than so do I."

"So what of Orzon," Shinon asked, "do we just lump him with Ayumi?"

"Knowing Orzon," said Zeruda, "I would say that he is the lesser of the two evils. It's Ayumi we need to worry about. Nonetheless, I am also with Zakura on this note. Tenoko might be a crazy drunkard, but I would trust that woman with my life. I believe her."

They were also joined by Sokka and Katara I.

"My daughter never trusted anyone," Katara remarked, "if she trusts these people, then I do as well."

Ultimately, the only people who did not 'accept' Orzon and Ayumi right away were The Four Benders.

"We'll trust you, Zakura," said Aiku, "but we're just going to be a bit more awry in case it is a trick."

"Nothing wrong with that," said Zakura, "I'm probably being dumb for leading you all to trust them this easily, but I guess "time will tell" as the old saying goes..."

"Again," said Alzar, "it is not for us to question what you decide. We swore that we would follow you until death regardless, and as a result, we are not about to desert you because you disagree with us."

"So I guess we just need to get there now, huh," Zakura chuckled,

"Aye," Zinjamyn remarked, and then he turned to Mulan; "I just have one question for you, mater airbender," he said,

"And what is that," Mulan asked gently,

"How did you find out about Xin Shing's Tower Guard?" he asked, "clearly very few people know about it."

"Because I was taken there," Mulan replied, "it's not a story I like to talk about, but summed up, I guarantee that anyone who enters that tower will have their skills put to the ultimate test. I did not actually have to undergo it, but I did see two benders in particular in action—a couple with the family name Lyautey."

"Zhin and Tu-Sung," Zakura whispered, "what were they like?"

"They were incredible," Mulan replied, "they are probably the most intricate benders in the world bar Alzar and Zinjamyn. They have demonic tactics, so be careful—this will be their native element."

"If anyone does not want to proceed with this operation, say so now," Zakura warned, "because there is a chance that not all of us will come out of this alive"

No one said so, but Malak stepped forward. She was the youngest fighter aboard [because Altina did not count].

"We're in this till the end," Malak declared, turning around as if she was giving a speech, "from the oldest of us to the youngest. We will fight, and we will fight to the death. We will fight for our friends, our families, and for our freedom. We are fighting for what is good in this world. We Are The Avatar Guard."


	78. Chapter 78: This Is My Final Test

Chapter 78: This Us My Final Test

The trip to Xin Shing's Tower was otherwise normal. Seeing "The Blazing Phoenix" docked at a certain point meant that this was where they were to dock as well. After they all got off, everyone was accounted for: Alzar, Shinon, Aiku, Zinjamyn, Zakura, Cheng, Taki, Lehran, Altina, Kimiko, Koara, Mulan, Royota, Sokka, Katara I, Zuki, Meili, Vigo, Sanaki, Maric, Malak, Iresu, Zeruda, and Reyson: the Avatar, the best benders in the world, and 18 of the greatest warriors the world could provide her with [and a child who was bound to grow into a master].

"This is it," said Zakura, "there's no turning back now."

"And we don't plan to," said a deep voice, belonging to Vigo. This was a shock to everyone but Meili, for they had all never heard Vigo talk up until now. Nonetheless, everyone immediately agreed with him.

The road to the tower was empty, though it looked like there had been a battle all the way up tom the tower itself. Everyone stayed close, but there was no problem all the way up to the tower.

"Spirits have mercy," many of them exclaimed upon reaching it, for it was enormous. This was a black, intricate tower reaching into the heavens. It was built into the side of a mountain that was actually a volcano. There were huge swirling black and orange clouds all around, likely from the enormous volcano.

"Why would Xin Shing want to be in the most volcanic part of the Fire Nation?" Alzar exclaimed,

"Because he's insane," Mulan replied, "and such a hostile, unforgiving place like this only matches his nature."

"What I want to know," said Iresu "is what happened to Tenoko and her gang. I don't see any evidence that they were killed..."

"Then they are probably alive," Zakura replied, "this is certainly going to be a series of battles to remember. I'm pretty sure that the leaders of the other three nations are probably here too, and are probably determined to kill Orzon and Ayumi just as much as they want to kill me or the rest of us."

"This is it," said Zinjamyn, "there's no turning back."

"That's my line," Zakura chuckled, and then turned to the enormous doors of the tower. Even they looked ominous.

"What if there's a trap," Shinon asked, "what if the first one in gets killed or something?"

"Then The Order is stupid," Zakura replied, "and that gives me all the more reason to go first. I die without The Avatar State; I'll just get reincarnated again."

"But that's the thing," said Alzar, "We don't want you to die. None of us do. The bond every one of us standing here shares with you... even Tenoko and Katara, wherever they are right now—we love you, Zakura. You're a good person."

"Thanks," Zakura shrugged, smiling. She then turned to the doors.

"Right about now," she said, "I reckon I'd ask anyone if they wanted to turn back. However, seeing as I've asked it so many times, I think it's a bit redundant by this time. Therefore, I'm about to give Master Xin Shing a little bit of welcome—The Avatar way.

The Avatar guard watched to see what Zakura would do. She lined herself up with the double doors, took a few steps backwards, and then charged forwards, flying through the air. One of her bare feet hit one door, and her other bare foot hit the other door, and they swung open with a loud creaking noise; This was it; they were in the heart of The Order's operations—Xin Shing's Tower.

The room they came into was huge and tall. Elaborate columns and wall designs were everywhere, and it looked very intricate—almost beautiful, but the dark nature of the place combined with the demeanor of the designs made it seem twisted and evil—seductive. The room was eerily quiet, and other than the torch lights, which, though they clearly illuminated the place, gave it an eerie series of shadows, there seemed to be nothing here except a few very wide stairs leading up towards the next room. The Avatar Guard all felt small compared to the sheer immensity of this room alone. None of them knew what to expect, and the absence of any enemies made it only worse.

It wasn't until Sanaki's ears perked that they all stopped.

"What is it?" Kimiko asked, since she was good friends with Sanaki, and the closest one to her.

"There are enemies in the room up ahead," Sanaki replied, "lots of them: Zuroc Sensei and Kyoshi Warriors."

"Is there any sign of Tenoko or any of the others," Zeruda asked, gently placing a hand on little Sanaki's shoulder, "concentrate, Sanaki; concentrate, and you should be able to tell."

Sanaki did as she was told. She concentrated hard, and then she noticed something familiar.

"I hear something," she said, "nobody move."

Sanaki scampered towards the wall of the next room, almost on all fours. Upon reaching the wall, she started scampering up the side of it, using the elaborate carvings in it as footholds. When she was about 15 feet up, she paused, pressing her ear to the wall. She overheard a Zuroc Sensei next to the wall, communicating with another.

"We need reinforcements," he said to his comrade, "they don't know we're here, but if we strike we'll be destroyed—they outnumber us with warriors of the same or greater caliber than us."

"We just need to hope that Captain Tenoko's message got out to the avatar," the other one, a female, replied, "two or three of Zakura's elite would be more than enough to help us finish this fight."

This was all that Sanaki needed to know. Jumping down, landing on her hands and rolling to avoid destroying her wrists, she scampered back to the others and told them what she heard.

"They need our help," said Sanaki,

"Then what are we waiting for," said Zakura, "we charge."

Zakura charged the door the same way she did the entrance and she blasted right through them, rolling and landing on her feet.

"Game time," she said darkly, grinning, and with a snap of her fingers, the rest of The Avatar Guard charged in and the fight began.

"Play the game," Zakura shouted, "for there is no sympathy for the losers this time."

"The game" which Zakura spoke of was a defensive one. She didn't want any of her comrades to die, and so she wanted them defending themselves well. However, this fight seemed to be proving easier than they thought. The group of Zuroc Sensei that was part of Tenoko's crew joined in, and some of the most elite bending were going on in this room.

This apparently was where The Order's airbenders were, for there were powerful Kyoshi Warriors blended in with the rest of them.

"I'd personally have to say," said Taki, who was dueling with another Kyoshi warrior, who, though she had a range advantage on Taki's fans with her sword, Taki was still overpowering her, "that Kyoshi Warriors have to be some of the most frustrating people to ever walk this world"

"What makes you say that?" Royota chuckled, who was in the middle of chucking huge rocks back and forth with an earthbending Zuroc Sensei,

"Well," said Taki, finally overwhelming her opponent and cutting off her head with one fell stroke, "they're strong, fast, violent, and don't know when to quit." She chuckled, for she knew that this also applied to her, rendering her a "true" Kyoshi Warrior by that standard.

"That's certainly true," said Sokka, chuckling, and fighting off two Kyoshi Warriors, one a firebender and the other an earthbender; "but then again, there are the type like Zuki, who don't even need to be in uniform to know how to fight."

Zuki was a few feet away taking on some of the strongest warriors single-handedly. As they had gone in, Meili had given her explicit instructions to fight as hard as she could and make sure that no one touched her. Zuki followed her daughter's orders with strict obedience, since Meili was not sure that she would be able to be by Zuki's side the entire fight, and naturally, she was correct.

Nonetheless, insane, hectic chaos was erupting from this chamber, with water, earth, fire and air, all exchanging locations and hitting various people. Many of The Avatar Guard members were hurt once all was said and done, but none of the Order members were left alive. A few of Tenoko's Zuroc Sensei had perished, but their deaths were honored. Much to Zakura's relief, none of her comrades had been killed, but some were pretty badly wounded.

"Sanaki, Alzar," said Zakura, "what's in the next chamber?"

Alzar and Sanaki darted forward, pressing their ears against the door. They heard nothing, but could sense a solitary figure.

"There is a man," Alzar replied, "probably high-ranking; he seems to be waiting for someone."

Kimiko stepped forward, and opened the door a crack. Inside the next room she could see an arena, and a man that she recognized at once.

"It's Feng," she warned, "and I think he's waiting for me."

"You want any of us to be there?" Cheng offered,

"No," Kimiko replied, "I guess you can watch if you want, but I think this is where I find out why I was allowed to live when the rest of my family was not. I believe that he too wanted to challenge me later on in life, and I know for a fact that I want to do the same. This is the road which my destiny has led me to, and I thank you all for helping me. If I die, then so be it; it just means that I was again defeated by someone stronger than me. This Is My Final Test.


	79. Chapter 79: The Fury of Kimiko

Chapter 79: The Fury of Kimiko

Kimiko was the first one to enter the next chamber, where a grinning Feng was waiting. Seeing the young lady whose family he was responsible for killing only made him smirk again. He knew now that he would finish the job of destroying that family by taking this girl out. He was thinking that Kimiko was foolish to try and challenge him, for it had not been very long ago that he had defeated her and given her that scar, its bright red color almost matching the color of the young woman's clothes. Feng smirked.

"Whatever happens out there," Lehran whispered, "I love you, Kimiko. Determination is what you will need for victory here."

He kissed her gently on the lips, and she returned it, but she decided not to keep Feng waiting. The longer that man was alive, the more she wanted to finish him. Removing her shoes and shirt, she stepped onto the arena, Feng following suit. After all, this was an Agni Kai; and fighting bare-chested [at least for men; women generally did too, but covered their upper chests of course] and barefooted was the way of the 'game'.

"So," said Feng, leering, with a powerful, albeit rather impressive, firebending display, "you've finally come back to meet your family again, have you?"

"No," Kimiko replied, "I plan to let you meet them—and find out how they feel about what you did to them; and to me."

"What ho," Feng laughed, "you actually talk now. What other secrets do you hold, Lady Nagishima?"

"I have secrets that would make a clod-minded head like yours spin fast enough to come off," Kimiko replied, "enough talking. I can sense your fear. Let's get this over with."

"Perhaps not," Feng replied, taking a position, but Kimiko blasted a fireball past him that grazed his ear.

"I said, shut up and fight," she snapped.

"So be it," Feng replied, sending a fireball right past Kimiko's arm. This was enough to signal the start of the duel, and so it commenced.

They both were amazing. Huge jets of flame came from both of them, and they both were almost flying. Feng's attacks seemed to be more raw power, while Kimiko's were more controlled, intricate, and seemed to show signs of more skill. After all, Kimiko had trained with the world's greatest firebender, whilst Feng had not.

Feng, however, was keeping Kimiko on the defensive. He was mostly standing in one place blasting fireball after fireball at her as she sprinted around trying to avoid them. Kimiko darted to and fro to avoid them, rolling, flipping, dodging, spinning, and blocking to prevent being hit.

Behind him, several Order warriors had stepped in to watch this fight as well and likely to prevent the others from progressing once this fight was over.

Iresu, Zeruda, Sokka, and Katara I all wondered how Tenoko and Katara II had gotten through this mess, but at the moment their attention was diverted back to Kimiko, who had just been blasted off her feet by a lightning bolt from Feng. She was lying on her back, her eyes barely open. This was an attack that Kimiko had learned the hard way from a certain Zhin Lyautey. It was part of the reason her family was captured in the first place.

Feng stepped forward, putting his foot on Kimiko's stomach as he walked over her. It took everything in Kimiko's power not to yell. She was thankful that he was barefoot though.

Feng looked down at Kimiko's seemingly unconscious form.

"Speak, girl," he muttered darkly, "you're not dead."

He put his other foot on her stomach, and unlike the first time, he pressed down hard instead of just walking over her. A few seconds later, Kimiko spoke.

"More... weight," she said, laughing, and then her right arm made a swift cutting movement towards Feng's chest, hitting him and knocking him slightly backwards. Kimiko immediately sprung up and pulled the Zhin tactic on Feng, knocking him off his feet. The Zhin tactic involved lying down and seeming defeated, and then suddenly springing back up and striking with a powerful force. This was what Kimiko did, but Feng, being a durable man, sprung back up sending flaming serpents towards Kimiko.

Kimiko's reaction was something that Feng called "The Nagishima Dragon". It was the same thing she had done in the Southern Water Tribe, and members of the Nagishima family were famous for them, Kimiko being no exception. The Dragon combated the serpents, both Feng and Kimiko putting large amounts of energy into their moves, hoping to overwhelm the other person.

Eventually the dragon and the serpents both were reduced to sparks, and the exchange of fireballs continued. Kimiko was skilled at defensive maneuverings, taught to her by some of The Avatar Guard's firebenders who had coined some of the moves themselves. Large walls of flames came up from Kimiko's bare feet, blocking, deflecting or absorbing the large burning fireballs that Feng blasted at her.

Feng's firebending was fueled by his fury and arrogance, Kimiko's by her concentration and determination. He jumped up and shook the ground, causing it to crack open with flames, but Kimiko used these to her advantage, making swift jabbing movement as she spiraled through the air, sending small fireballs at Feng which bombarded him. After being pelted with flames, Feng sent out a blast of fire with one hand and blast of lightning with the other. These surrounded Kimiko, and gave her about a second and a half to react.

Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough. She was blasted several feet backwards and landed face-down. Feng stepped up to her.

"This is where it ends," Feng leered, "the little timid girl can join her pathetic family wherever they may be."

"No," Kimiko replied, pulling herself back onto her feet; the look on her face made her look entirely dangerous—nearly as bad as an angry Serenes; "this is where you get to meet the rest of my family,"

Feng was certainly not prepared for what happened next. In fact, no one, not even The Avatar Guard, was expecting it. Kimiko sent out a huge blast of lightning, and instead of letting it go, she dragged it out. To make a long story short, it looked like Kimiko was planning to torture Feng in this method until he died.

"Remember what I said about everyone having a dark side," she shouted, mostly directing this at The Avatar Guard, "well this is my dark side—this is for you, mom; dad, Yasu, and anyone else killed at the foul hands of The Order of the Avatar Slayer!"

Needless to say, being trapped in a huge blast of lightning was enough to eventually make even the toughest man scream, and so soon Feng was yelling as well."

"Come on; SCREAM," Kimiko roared, "I want to hear you cry so I can glory in the moment—much like you did at my expense."

Feng though was a strong man, and wasn't about to bend to the will of this 18-year-old girl. He stood his ground, but there was no way out of Kimiko's trap. He knew that she was not going to show mercy, because he had shown none to her. What goes around comes around.

"SHOW NO MERCY," Kimiko bellowed triumphantly; everyone in the room was in a state of awe—no one, not even Lehran, had ever expected Kimiko's dark side to be this malicious; "FOR YOU SHALL RECEIVE NONE!" she laughed manically, and brought her other hand forward, adding energy to the attack.

Eventually, Feng couldn't take it anymore, and he literally screamed for mercy. To his surprise, and the surprise of everyone else, Kimiko actually stopped, grinning triumphantly.

"That's a clever gambit, Feng," she remarked, repeating his old, harsh words, "but you need to die slowly. I hope you enjoy the ride."

Feng was in no condition to react, and so when Kimiko brought her merciless onslaught of lightning back down upon him, he was powerless to resist. A few minutes later, he was dead.

"Run," she hissed at The Order's Warriors, who had clearly not expected to see Admiral Feng taken down by an 18-year-old girl, "run away if you value your lives."

Her fingers crackled with lightning, and she was grinning maliciously again. Kimiko's ultimate prowess had been displayed, and she still had energy for more; "or perhaps, there is another taker that would like to avenge this idiot?"

She nudged Feng's body with both her feet and crossed her arms. To no one's surprise, no one wanted to challenge her. The Order warriors took off, most likely to tell whoever was ahead that these people meant business, and that was as true as the scar on Kimiko's face.

Kimiko got her shirt and shoes back on and turned to the others.

"When you're put in a situation like that, all you need is determination," she remarked, "that man was the one who forced me to watch my family die. If that's not justification, then I really don't care about not having an excuse. Let's go find the others before they're killed."

Everyone was still in such a state of shock that they actually let Kimiko lead them into the next chamber. Kimiko certainly still had that spark of her old self inside her, and something this time had gone off that had made it expand into a raging wildfire that burned through Kimiko's body with enough power that it set her off.

Some of The Avatar Guard member actually thought that she had gone crazy, but despite these theories, she was perfectly alright. They had all just been able to witness the rare scene where she went all out. None of them had expected that that was the extent of The Fury of Kimiko.


	80. Chapter 80: The Serenes' Captor

Chapter 80: The Serenes' Captor

"You all don't think differently of me now, do you?" Kimiko asked as they made their way to the next chamber;

"Not really," Lehran replied, though he was the only one.

"Well," said Royota, "perhaps only very slightly. It was more surprising to us than anything."

"Ah," Kimiko replied, "That was just my 'dark side', I guess, that I once told you all about. I'm sorry if I made anyone feel weird."

"It's understandable," said Sokka, "especially if that was the man who tore your family apart. I might be a guy, but I know that it totally devastated my younger sister."

"The Order has affected all of us in one way or another," said Zakura, "and that's why the best of the best are with me today, in an attempt to end it all. I really hope that the others are alright."

"Even Orzon and Ayumi," Aiku asked,

"Aye," Zakura replied, "even them. If they gave up everything when they literally had their lives set and nothing to worry about, they deserve sympathy. Still, this tower is huge. Those three rooms and we're still only on the bottom floor."

"This place is huge," Mulan replied, "the tower spirals upward. The next room will have the stairs leading upward. The 2nd floor has 4 rooms arranged in a similar pattern. It's like that all the way up."

"Then let's go," said Lehran, and they went into the next room.

They were in for a series of huge surprises, and this time, it was Lehran's time to surprise The Avatar Guard.

A Zuroc Sensei had appeared out of nowhere and snatched up Altina. For a split second, the expression on Lehran's face was one of shock and horror, but a split-second later; it turned into one of sheer rage. Fire was blazing through his eyes, and he looked ready to rip someone in half. Even his hair seemed to be standing on end as he glared fiercely the woman who was holding a knife to the throat of his screaming baby sister. Soon, more Zuroc Sensei and other warriors from the water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, and Fire Nation appeared.

"Surrender the avatar," said the woman who had to be the leader, "or you get to watch the baby girl suffer at our hands. Surely you wouldn't want that, now would you?"

She inched the knife onto Altina's throat, just barely making it open the skin on her neck, so that a tiny trickle of blood came out.

"The longer you wait," she leered, "the more she suffers—"

She did not have time to finish, as her body had been ripped apart. Lehran, fire blazing through his eyes, had literally bloodbended her apart. He yelled fiercely, and using water of his own he began attacking madly, skillfully, swiftly, and accurately, unleashing the true meaning of Serenes Fury upon his enemies.

The Avatar Guard was originally going to assist him, but with the way he was going, he did not need it. Little Altina, frightened from this mess, had been dropped, and was curled in a little trembling ball in the center of the field. Lehran though, was way too swift and far too powerful to let anyone come within a 6-foot radius of his baby sister without getting massacred. His fury had been unleashed.

Huge ships of water were flying from Lehran's arms, and using his feet, he was making ice beneath him to increase his speed. Reinforcements came down the stairs, and this was when the rest of The Avatar Guard decided to kick in. Koara picked up the frightened Altina and she stayed out of most of the battle, as Koara knew the bond that Lehran had with Altina and knew that he would not be content unless she was completely alright.

Lehran seemed to be in combat with an older man now, who he seemed to recognize as the leader of the Serenes Raids; the attacks on the Serenes village that had left them empty of all but Lehran and Altina a while back. They had since been freed, but the atrocity of them all being captured and treated cruelly stuck in Lehran's mind.

Unfortunately for Lehran, this man was tough, and knew a lot of tricks the Serenes waterbenders liked to use. He himself was a powerful waterbender, and so Lehran's fluid-bending techniques would not work so easily on him. It was only the less powerful ones that it worked easily on. More powerful opponents took much more power, strength, and concentration.

"Ah," said the man, "another Serenes; I thought I had captured you all."

"But alas, Onaku," Lehran hissed, using the man's name, "there was one Serenes you missed; and he's going to finish you off."

"Time will tell this time, boy," he leered, "time will tell."

It was much like their previous situation, except instead of everyone just watching a 1-on-1 fight; it was taking place during another battle. However, like with Kimiko, Lehran's fight was the focal point.

Lehran shot a barrage of ice spikes at Onaku, who deflected them and turned them into ice spears. Lehran melted these, using the water to glide up and around Onaku, also creating a series of powerful water bubbled which he bombarded Onaku with.

Onaku blocked these with small walls of water, which he immediately turned into ice shards, aimed at Lehran. Lehran spun around, kicking a wave of water up that absorbed Onaku's attacks, and sent them back as a powerful blast of water—he didn't even need to freeze it.

Unfortunately, Onaku did it for him, freezing his barrage into an ice wall, which he used also to block Lehran's next attacks, which were several ice spears. They shattered and Onaku threw them back as a powerful mist which hit Lehran. He spiraled through the air, blood running down his face. However, Lehran was unfazed. All it took to set him off was Onaku attempting to throw a cheap shot at Altina, and worse yet, for Koara's defenses not to come up fast enough to completely block it. Part of the cutting water slashed Altina's forehead right above her eyes, causing the baby girl to screech in pain.

If threatening Altina in front of Lehran had been bad enough, actually injuring the girl was likely to be considered the worst mistake to ever make. Anyone who laid a finger on his baby sister would face the full wrath of Lehran Serenes. The Serenes Waterbenders were notorious for their passive attitudes, being slow to anger, but being incredibly dangerous when actually driven to anger.

Fire flew through Lehran's eyes. If it were actually possible, everyone was certain that Lehran's eyes would be red right now, as he was seeing more red than was in the entire Fire Nation.

"Never," he said in a dark, low voice, "ever, TOUCH my sister EVER again." The next instant, he had sent a lightning-quick blast of water that surrounded Onaku. The next moment, he had dashed forward with a huge ice sword that he had created and began slashing madly at his trapped opponent. Blood was appearing of course, but Lehran was relentless, stopping about dealing out about 41 strokes. The final stroke was a powerful one that smashed Onaku against the wall, where his bleeding form lay motionless. He was clearly dead.

The rest of his minions were now at the mercy of The Avatar Guard. Lehran, wanting to ensure that his sister was alright, raced towards Koara. She had managed to stop the bleeding, but there was still a large cut running across Altina's forehead.

"She will bear it all her life," Koara replied grimly, "It will get wider as she grows, but will not bleed again. I am sorry, Lehran."

However, now that the threat was gone, Lehran was back to his passive self again, and he took over watching Altina while Koara jumped up and joined the fight.

"It's not your fault, Koara," he said, as she stood up, "I'll take her from here though if you catch my meaning."

"Aye," Koara replied, and she joined the fight, using her bloodbending prowess to help the rest of The Avatar Guard exterminate the few warriors who remained. Soon they had all been vanquished. It was here that Lehran got people asking about Altina. The tiny girl seemed shaken, but otherwise alright.

"It's over," said Lehran, "That man—Onaku over there, or rather, what's left of him, is defeated. He and his treacherous gang of bandits will no longer terrorize our village."

Kimiko smiled and put her arms around Lehran.

"Excellent job, Lehran," Kimiko replied, "Now do you understand what I went through just before you?"

"I never doubted you, Kimi" Lehran replied, kissing Kimiko's scar, "but aye, I understand what you mean about everyone having a dark side."

"So," said Zakura, "who all is in favor of resting up a bit before carrying on? I don't want any of you to feel overworked. None of you deserve to die from this war, and so I will do everything in my power to prevent that from happening, is that understood?"

"Aye," they all replied, and they all agreed to wait at the bas of the stairs for the time being so that they could rest and strategize. They all also conversed a lot with each other, particularly about all of the recent events that had occurred, and speculation about what else lay ahead. Kimiko had become popular among The Avatar Guard as a result of her defeat of Admiral Feng, "head" of the Tower Guard, and as of just recently, Lehran too had become popular, as a result of him defeating Onaku, the man who was also know as The Serenes' Captor.


	81. Chapter 81: The Commoner and The Calm

Chapter 81: The Commoner and The Calm

The Avatar Guard was the not the only group that was making their way to Xin Shing's Tower. Even though Tenoko's group, and then Zakura's group had made it through, more Order Warriors were there to protect the entrance should another group or army come at them.

"Enemies are approaching," said one of the soldiers to another; likely a scout to a captain or something similar; "they are swift and powerful."

"What are their numbers," the other soldier, obviously a higher-ranked one, asked, "how far have they come; tell me everything, girl;"

"They've made it nearly ¼ of the way here already," the woman replied, "they're moving fast. They're deadly."

"How many of them are there," he asked her,

"There are two of them," she replied, "one cloaked in blue, the other in red. Needless to say, one's a firebender, the other's a waterbender."

"Two elite warriors, eh?" said the general, "Were any of your unit's members able to determine the gender of these fellows?"

"Aye," the woman replied, "from the grunts they made, the firebender was a male, and the waterbender was a female. The waterbender was barefoot, and looked young. The firebender looked a little older."

"Hmm," he said, scratching his beard, "if it were a barefoot female firebender and a male waterbender, I'd say it was Alzar Miyamoto and Shinon Iwata—you sure you got that right?"

"Aye," the scout replied, "They called each other by nicknames of some sort. The man was called The Commoner, and the woman was called The Calm. Do these sound familiar at all?"

Luckily for them, those names did ring a bell. Unfortunately, this meant trouble for them as well.

"The Commoner and The Calm," he exclaimed, "those two are deadly. They broke out of The Boiling Rock a few months ago, and anywhere where someone has stood in their way, they have broken through without a scratch. Fighting them is a bad idea."

"Then what do we do," the scout asked nervously, "do we abandon our loyalty to The Order?"

"No," said the general, "but pitting ourselves against foes like that would be the same as suicide. We will have to let our friends inside the tower use similar discretion. Those two are more suited for the likes of Orzon, Ayumi, or perhaps Xin Shing himself."

They did now know that Orzon and Ayumi had "betrayed" The Order, but it was not important to them. The scout, a young Fire Nation woman who couldn't be older than her early 20s at best, was slightly afraid.

"Troops," said the general, "There should be two figures approaching us soon. We are to let them through."

"And why is that?" asked a lieutenant, though his tone simply indicated that he was curious to know.

"Because fighting them would lead to all of us dying. These two are The Commoner and The Calm."

A hushed silence fell over some of the veteran fighters in the area.

"Aye, sir," they replied, and they waited.

Several minutes later, two figures came running towards the tower. They were both in fact, swift and powerful. Once they were in range of The Order's troops, they stopped, taking stances.

"You will surrender," said The Calm; the waterbender; "or you will all perish on this battlefield within the next few minutes."

"Surrender," the general exclaimed, smirking, "I know exactly who you two are. My soldiers and I will not surrender, but we have no intentions of fighting you either. You may enter."

"You will also grant our approaching comrades entrance," said The Commoner; the firebender;

"That we cannot assure," the general replied, "we are serving our allegiance, just like you are serving yours. If I were you, I would advise accepting our offer while it's still fresh."

"Very well then," said The Commoner calmly, "and so we part."

With that, the two benders made their way into the tower. They were only a few rooms away from Zakura's gang, but they were all resting. Additionally, there were more fierce Order warriors that had swarmed in from various depths of the tower, and so these two were going to be in for some serious fighting soon.

"We need a plan," the man said, "if what I hear is true about The Warrior of the Black Hand and her chaotic neutrality in this war; then I am certain that she is here as well."

"You were the only one who was able to overcome Katara Altina II," the young woman replied, "If this Warrior of the Black Hand really matches up with—or is—Katara, then you will be able to defeat her with little or no difficulty."

"Aye," The Commoner replied, facing the young woman, "And you're a Serenes; your kind; those that bear your name, are revered as goddesses because of their power."

The Calm blushed slightly upon hearing this. "You were named after a powerful firebender who lived over 1000 years ago," she said, "so perhaps both of our names hold a certain special meaning."

"Aye," he replied, "they do."

"You look tired, Dozuku," she remarked, using The Commoner's nickname; they kept their real names a tight secret, as they did not want anyone knowing who they were until just the right moment.

"I am a bit, Kiya," he replied, using The Calm's nickname; "perhaps we should rest. It's been a long time since we have; I'd wager nearly a full cycle of the sun and moon."

"Aye; we need sleep; or at least I do. It's something that has run in my family for 43 generations."

"Then sleep; it's not like the world will end while we slumber. Not being seen is what we do best."

The two of them actually did go to sleep, as they were exhausted. Who they were and what their intent was; was uncertain at the current time. All that was known about them was that one was from the Water Tribe and that the other was from the Fire Nation, and that they both had broken out of prison. The man looked to be in his mid 30s, and the woman looked to be around 19 or 20, so they were clearly not related.

The Avatar Guard meanwhile, had just finished resting up for they could not rest long. Nonetheless, they were ready to ascend to the next level of the tower, despite them still being slightly weakened.

The first room on the 2nd floor was empty, but there were bodies everywhere. Some of them were Zuroc Sensei and Tenoko's crew. The 4 Zuroc Sensei that had joined The Avatar Guard after The Avatar Guard had helped them escape The Order's Kyoshi Warriors and Zuroc Sensei all dashed ahead looking around for any survivors.

"Azula," one of them yelled, and they rushed over. She was alive, but looked rather beaten. Next to her were the bodies of a couple more Zuroc Sensei, and they too were alive. It seemed that they had sat down next to Azula when she was wounded and had fallen asleep. However, they also found 5 of their mates dead, and they mourned.

"Who here can heal," one of the women shouted, "she needs help!" Azula was the most injured, and despite having rested for a short while, the healers, such as Lehran, Koara, Shinon, and Maric were all worn out from the intense fighting action from before. [Almost the entire party was like this though; it was not limited to the waterbenders] The only one who seemed to still have it in her for the moment was Malak.

"I-I'll try," she said nervously. Having dealt with Zuroc Sensei before on a personal level, she was a bit scared of them.

"We can't force a kid to do this, Alz" said Shinon, "look at her; she's scared to death of those Zuroc Sensei."

"They're not going to hurt her, Shin," Alzar replied, "she just seems to be afraid of Zuroc Sensei for a different reason, and scared that she's going to mess up."

"Those bloody Serenes Captors," Maric growled, "they were a setup to drain our energy."

And they were. In fact, they had a special move where they could "sap" energy from another person for a time; it was how they had captured strong waterbenders like the Serenes Village in the first place. This time they had focused on draining much of their chi-healing energy. Malak had just happened to not be hit as much with those moves.

The little waterbender continued nervously trying to heal Azula's wounds. She too was exhausted, as she took a lot of physical damage, but she was the only one with enough healing prowess at the time. At first it made Malak angry that they expected her to help her enemy, but when she saw the injured Azula's expression, she couldn't help but have sympathy. She continued trying everything in her power to revive Azula, and eventually, she came to. The first thing she saw was Malak's watery eyes looking down at her. She smiled, though there was a huge cut running across her forehead.

"Heh," she said weakly, "you're a really honorable kid; you know that? I was your enemy up until your mom said who I was, and yet you did this for me. My life is in your hands, Malak Dragmire. I owe you one."

"So what happened to Tenoko and Katara?" Iresu asked

"They're around," Azula replied weakly, "they've been wandering the framework of this tower for a while."

"Do tell," said Zeruda with interest, "for we need rest as well."

"Alright," said Azula, propping herself up, "gather 'round..."

Azula started to tell the story. However, although she, Tenoko, Rafai and Katara might have known a lot about the tower's clockwork, none of them knew about The Commoner and The Calm.


	82. Chapter 82: The Warriors of Tenoko

Chapter 82: The Warriors of Tenoko

Azula was weaker than she thought, and so her arms faltered.

"Ah," she growled, cursing under her breath, "I can't stay up. Someone give me a hand here."

She reached out towards Malak, who was nearest to her, and clung, to her to keep herself from falling over.

"The story of what were doing here," she said, as Malak shifted, attempting to get comfortable while Azula was leaning on her, "is an interesting one. However, with Orzon and Ayumi's intellectual genius, combined with that of Katara, we were able to pull it off incredibly well. Listen and learn."

Tenoko, Azula, Katara, and the rest of their group landed at the tower.

"So," said Katara bluntly, "what's the plan?"

"Underestimation," Tenoko smirked, "Katara, do you still have that dress of yours you used to wear on this ship?"

"Aye," Katara replied, "why; do I need to get it on?"

"Aye," Tenoko replied, "do you want to vent some anger out on The Order's minions and get to Xin Shing's tower?"

Her goal was to pump Katara up and get her fired enough to wreak havoc, and get any foolish Order Members who would not let them through out of their way.

"Aye," Katara replied a few minutes later after changing her clothes, "this little pretty-girl's gonna set some idiots ablaze."

"Righteous," Azula replied, "let's have at them!"

Katara yelled and charged forward, setting a huge blazing trail ahead of the others. The others raced to keep up with her, but she was soon far out of sight."

"Huh boy," Tenoko grumbled, "I didn't expect her to actually lose us. Now I'm gonna be feeling guilty as heck to her mom and brother for losing her to these freaks. This can't be a good thing."

"Except that she's not going to lose to them, Tenoko" said Rafai,

"Oh," Azula exclaimed, "and what makes you say that, Lynn?"

"Because she was my girlfriend a while ago," Rafai replied bluntly, "back when I was better known as Rafai instead of Lynn. We've gotten ourselves into sticky situations before [even literally once or twice] and she beat her way out. She was even wearing that dress most of the time. It's amazing how people will underestimate a teenage girl in a dress."

"I know I would," Azula chuckled, "that girl gets underestimated all the time though—and then those who understand her power do whatever it takes to manipulate the poor thing... I'm guilty of it myself."

"Aye," said Tenoko, "the both of us are. Let's make sure she gets to the tower unhurt, shall we?"

"Does this mean we get to do some throat slitting?" Azula asked, whipping out a set of knives,

"Aye," Tenoko chuckled, bringing out a mass of water as Rafai also drew knives, "it's time for some steel-throwing and element-bending."

"AYE;" Azula shouted and she took off after Katara again.

However, they were stopped by more Order Warriors.

"Did you all see a firebender in a dark red and gold dress come and pass by here?" Rafai asked them, none of their group looking worried in the slightest;

"Aye," one of the commanders replied, "and since we couldn't take her out, we'll have some fun with you."

"Very well then," said Azula, smirking, "sick 'em boys!"

Azula's command caused Tenoko's crew to come charging up from behind them. The four of them didn't even need to do any fighting. Normally they would have felt bad for using these Zuroc Sensei as "pawns" but they insisted that the leaders stay back for now while they did most of the fighting. They knew the importance of Katara, Azula, and Tenoko, especially when the latter was involved with The Avatar Guard.

"You all stay back for the outside pawns," they told them, "we'll wipe those out. You all fight the big baddies like Xin Shing or whatever his ugly-bucket's name is, you hear?"

Tenoko laughed at that statement."

"If you insist," She told them, "I just don't want you all feeling like pawns in my operation, ya hear? You're my crew; we've done so much together."

"We know," they replied to her, "but you're too important to be lost in this first part. Besides, if we thought we were being 'used', we wouldn't have volunteered, don't you think? You know, Captain, you might want to lay off the drinks every now and again."

"Lay off the drinks?" Tenoko exclaimed, "That's mutiny on my ship!"

They all laughed, including Tenoko.

"Good to hear," the Zuroc Sensei replied, "we wouldn't want our old Water Chief to become sober at any given time, would we?"

Tenoko chuckled, remembering this pre-fight conversation they had.

The Zuroc Sensei had done an effective job at eradicating anyone on the way to the tower. Katara was there waiting for them.

"So," she said in her usual blunt manner, "what's the plan from here?"

"On that note," said Azula, "what happened to Orzon and Ayumi?"

From the shadows of the tower's entrance, Orzon and Ayumi appeared.

"Do we want to know how you two got in," Tenoko exclaimed, "or would we rather not know?"

"You'd rather not," Ayumi giggled, "but we're here to help you. You see, we know this tower much like Mulan Kumani does. We know the secret ways around it so that you don't have to go through all of The Order's Warriors. However, I suggest that if we want to give Avatar Zakura's forces a helping hand, that we deploy warriors in various places."

"Carry on;" said Azula, "we're listening."

"Azula," said Orzon, "you and those five take the 2nd floor first room near the stairs; you four take the first floor. Katara, you're going to be needed near the top. Tenoko, you patrol the sidelines of the tower. Ayumi and I will be around in various places, rest assured."

Orzon proceeded to assign the rest of Tenoko's crew to various places, which they were going to access by traveling along parts of the walls.

"Orzon and I," said Ayumi "will be towards the top just beyond Katara. We might be seen around earlier than that, but ultimately, we'll be the last two to join The Avatar Guard's forces. It's all part of the plan. Do you all trust us?"

They all did, except a slightly hesitant Katara.

"What's wrong, Katara," said Ayumi, who probably understood Katara better than any of the rest of them, except for maybe Rafai;

"I'm nervous," Katara replied, "I get this lasting feeling that I'm going to die while I'm here—before I can properly unite with my family again. I don't want to go without seeing them all at least one more time."

"You're not gonna die, kid," said Azula, putting her arm around Katara, feeling the soft material of her dress, "you're tough. You've been through almost as much as we have."

"But I'm not invincible," said Katara, "I have my flaws, and there are people out there who know what they are and how to exploit them. Chances are if Xin Shing has an ally that knows my weakness, he'd put them in here somewhere."

"Katara," said Ayumi, "that's what we're here for. We're all on your side; we want this war to be over. If it's not, guess who the first two people that are going to die are going to be?"

Katara looked at Orzon and Ayumi, both of whom looked back at her;

"It's us," Orzon replied, "We've straight-up betrayed The Order. You simply refuse to serve it. We are known for being valuable members of that organization. To know that we're against them now would be the ultimate form of treachery. Katara, we're going to be with you the entire way. It's why we positioned you so close to us. You are The Warrior of the Black Hand. You're not going to lose."

Katara suddenly threw herself into Orzon's arms, sobbing. At first he was a bit shocked, but then he embraced Katara.

"It's alright," said Orzon, gently running his hand down her back, like he did to comfort Ayumi when she was feeling down; Orzon had exceptional comforting skills, and The Avatar Guard would later learn that this proved to be a useful technique.

"We're here for you, Katara," he said in a gentle tone; he had been very skilled at calming down Ayumi, who seemed to have various fits and other emotional issues every now and then. "We're going to go ion there and defeat them. We've got Ayumi Zhaoka and Katara Altina II on our sides; you two are The Two Masterminds. With your stratagem on our side, we have ensured victory."

Katara sniffled, looking up at him. Orzon looked the young girl right in the eyes, and smiled.

"And most importantly," he said, "I will personally ensure that you see your family again. I swear it with my life."

Tears were still running down Katara's face, but she smiled weakly. Ayumi got her attention as well.

"You've always been different," she said, "when we first met, and when I saw your skill... I... I was jealous, Katara. You were amazing out there. It made me angry; I didn't like knowing that you were better than me. And yet, despite everything, you just wanted to be left alone. I've done too many bad things in my life to ever be forgiven, Katara, but let it be known that I apologize regardless. Being around you, and learning why exactly I acted like I did made me learn something—you're a good kid. You deserve to live more than anyone else."

Katara smiled again. "Then let's do this thing," she said.

The others cheered and raced inside.

"That's the story," said Azula, "make of it what you will." She propped herself off of Malak, who looked relieved by this point. "Don't worry folks; most of our group has survived. After all, it takes a heck of a lot more than a few "Order Elite" to defeat The Warriors of Tenoko."


	83. Chapter 83: The Comforting Role

Chapter 83: The Comforting Role

After Azula let go of her, Malak sort of made her way away from the rest of the group towards one of the corners behind one of the massive pillars. The group had spread out to get more room to themselves. Maric was talking with Sanaki; these two did not seem to have a love interest in each other [possibly because, despite Sanaki's small size, she was nearly 3 years older than Maric and Malak] but because of Sanaki's friendly nature, the two of them were talking.

Reyson, noticing Malak by herself looking gloomy, decided to see if there was anything that he could do for her. He got up and sat down next to her, putting his hand on her forearm, running down her sleeve until he reached her hand. She looked up.

"You alright," he asked, "I mean; I thought you'd be with your brother or something, especially when you're feeling down."

"I'm fine," Malak replied, "I'm just a little tired; shaken too from healing Azula. I hope she's alright."

"That," said Reyson, "that took some serious guts, Malak, especially if what she did to you is true. Why did you do it?"

"Because she knew my mother," Malak replied, "and after being imprisoned, I could feel that she was only acting on duty—working for the highest bidder. And yet, hearing that Ayumi and Orzon switched sides... I don't know, I'm just so confused."

"It's alright to be confused, Malak," Reyson reassured her, "you got dragged into this war just like most of the rest of us. You're the youngest one here except baby Altina. Kids like us aren't meant to be fighting like this. It just shouldn't be done."

"And yet here we are," said Malak, "I'm scared. I don't want to lose my mom in this war; I lost her already."

Reyson understood this to mean the couple that those twins had grown up thinking was their parents.

"Zeruda used to talk to me about Tenoko," Reyson assured her, "I thought she was just some crazy blithering drunkard at first..."

Malak cut him off, giggling.

"She IS a crazy blithering drunkard," she responded, "but regardless, she's my mom. She's awesome."

Reyson chuckled, "but she's also incredible. I've heard the stories of her as the Water Chief. Malak, there's no way your mom could die in a place like this. You know her more than I do—think about it. Can you really see Tenoko getting killed?"

Malak actually listened to Reyson's words. She tried to imagine her mother dying, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not really imagine Tenoko Dragmire getting slain.

"I can't," she said, "it just sounds..." she paused, "ridiculous."

Reyson laughed. "She's a maniac, Malak," he replied, "trust me, she wont die. Neither will you; neither will I, nor neither will your brother. We've got The Avatar and The Four Benders on our side."

He paused for a moment.

"I probably sound so dumb right now," he said, turning slightly pink and looking down; Malak just giggled and kissed his cheek.

"You sounded good enough for me," Malak replied, "it's not like I'm the greatest people person either."

"It's sort of funny now that I think about it," Malak replied, "you're a Fire Nation boy, I'm a Water Tribe girl. You were raised carefully, I was sort of on my own; you're royalty, I'm just a commoner."

"What's your point?" Reyson asked, "Are you saying that we can't like each other because of that?"

"I hope not," Malak replied, "because I love you."

She immediately turned blood red.

"Did I..." she exclaimed, "Did I just say that out loud?"

"You did," Reyson replied, "but even if anyone else heard, do you think I care? If you mean it, that's all that matters to me. Do you know why?"

"Why," Malak asked curiously,

"Because I feel the same way about you, Malak," he replied, sliding his arm around her, "I care about you. I want you to be happy."

Malak smiled back, still blushing.

"Thanks," she replied, "that means a lot to me."

Reyson smiled back at her again.

"Then close your eyes," he said, "because you're about to return to a very familiar experience."

Malak listened to him, and the next moment, his other hand was behind her head, pulling it towards his, where their mouths met. Her arms soon slid around him, and they were both bound in this embrace. Neither of them had had a terrible amount of experience in doing this, and so they were both sort of 'working' off of the other person's movements.

Reyson was being very gentle with Malak, treating her as if she was that fragile treasure that she originally hating being treated as; it was his loving touch—his way of indicating that he wasn't lying, and that he really did care for her as much as he claimed he did.

Meanwhile, Maric and Sanaki were talking when suddenly, Sanaki's slightly-pointed ears perked. Why her ears were slightly pointed as unknown, but according to an old legend, Sanaki Li Chan, the legendary Fire Lady, had had slightly pointed ears because of blood contact with a supernatural named Tera, who had huge pointed ears that could be seen from far away. Why Sanaki, an otherwise normal human, and some of her descendants, also only human, had them was unknown.

She giggled, wiggling her ears.

"Your sister's having fun," she said, giggling again, "I guess their tongues wanted to get to know the other person's tonsils better."

"What do you... oh," he started, but Sanaki pointed behind her towards where they were, and Maric could easily see them making out.

"Don't laugh at them," said Maric, "that'd kill Malak,"

"I wasn't going to," Sanaki giggled, "I just thought it was cute."

"Are you implying something?" Maric exclaimed, looking at Sanaki's glazed eyes, which were looking right back into his, though she seemed focused on something else, most likely because she was blind.

"Not at all," Sanaki giggled, "we're just friends. Besides, I'm 17."

Maric chuckled, "you don't look like you're 17," he said, "Well; your size is sort of what throws it off."

Maric was right about that. Sanaki was a well-developed young woman for her small size, but other than baby Altina, she was the smallest character there. However, the features of her face, dimensions of her chest, and the altogether shape of Sanaki's physique clearly showed that she was almost an adult. She smiled.

"Well," she said, "just because we're not in a relationship like your sister and the prince doesn't mean we can't be friends, right?"

Maric answered by kissing her cheek. Sanaki blushed furiously, which was Maric's intent.

"Of course," he said, "we can be friends without "loving" each other. By the way, you might not be able to see color, but you're as red as your clothes right now."

He laughed, and Sanaki went a deeper red. Sanaki was a playful little girl whose actions also did not help her in her quest to prove that she was 17. It was usually her dazzling fire dances and a close look at her face that did that.

"Careful now," she warned, "otherwise Zak might get the wrong idea."

Maric laughed.

"True that," he remarked, "it was just a joke; I knew you would blush like crazy when I did it, so I did."

"You stinker," Sanaki snapped, giggling and poking him,

"Ain't I?" Maric laughed, "Just don't poke fun at my sister, alright?"

"Alright, alright," Sanaki said, fake-sighing. Maric chuckled.

Reyson eventually pulled back, Malak having been lost in the moment. When he did, her mouth actually was following his until the moment they separated. He smiled at her.

"I love you," he said, kissing her cheek again, "remember that, alright? Especially if I'm wrong and one of us does die."

"No," Malak snapped, "no, no one's going to die! You're going to live, you understand me? And then we're going to grow up and live happily together and..." she broke off, slightly embarrassed at what she said.

"I'll tell you what, Malak," he whispered, "if you want that to happen as much as I do, then I promise that I'll help you work that out, alright?"

Malak blushed fiercely, but then nodded.

"Alright," she said, smiling, and then she yawned.

"You look tired," Reyson commented, "you should take a rest."

"Alright," Malak replied, yawning again; she laid her head down on Reyson's lap, where he gently ran his hands through her hair.

"Awww," said Zakura in an unusual tone, "they're sweet, aren't they?"

She had directed this at Zeruda, and Zeruda actually nodded. Apparently she seemed alright with the girl her son had taken interest in, and so she smiled back at Zakura.

"It really does sort of add an interesting environment to the place," she remarked, "even in the heart of war, there are some who are able to find a peaceful, happy moment where they can just be together. It really warms my heart. I'm proud of my son."

"And I bet Tenoko's probably proud of her daughter;" Zakura replied, "your son is a fine boy. I can see why Malak likes him."

"Those twins certainly are interesting figures," Zeruda remarked, "they definitely belong to Tenoko... they have that same sense of enigma around them. All in all though, they add to this environment. I heard the conversation young Maric had with little Sanaki over there."

"Little children really are a pleasant addition in the world," said Zakura, "it's like an additional peace that we all could use at this time; something to give us a ray of hope during this impossibly long war. Maybe it's just me, but in my eyes, they play The Comforting Role."


	84. Chapter 84: Azula Caroso's Wisdom

Chapter 84: Azula Caroso's Wisdom

A while passed, and The Avatar Guard was decently rested, but Azula and a few of the others who had been wounded more severely had not yet recovered enough to fight with full strength.

It was here that many Avatar Guard members [Zakura and Malak being prominent exceptions] turned to Azula to ask her a few things, such as who she was and where she came from.

"My name," she replied, "is Azula Caroso. I was born 27 years ago in the Western Air Temple when my parents were passing through. They used that as an excuse to dump me off. They gave birth to me, and the Air Sisters found me the next day crying alone in the bed they put me in.

I grew up among them, but felt very confined, not being an airbender and all. Everyone there was friendly to me, but to outsiders I had a bad name—literally. I'm not sure what they were holding against me, but they named me Azula as a hate movement. There was a note attached to my blankets that said what my name was and where it came from. It wasn't exactly the most pleasing thing to learn once you were old enough to understand it."

"Your name, child," The airbender said, "is Azula; you were named after the vile Fire Nation Princess who used her power and cunning to give her homeland a bad reputation. She eventually wound down to having no friends, and everyone hated her. That is the name your parents gave you child. I am deeply sorry."

Little Azula at the time was more surprised than anything.

"What else do you know about my parents?" she asked them curiously; she was about 7 or 8 at the time. Before that she just accepted her name, but the little girl was confused as to why outsiders looked at her with weird looks every time she introduced herself.

"So basically my name became my black mark," Azula muttered, "of course, after I learned of some of the atrocities of Princess Azula, I understand why it was a name with such a dark reputation. Apparently there was also an Azula named Azula Kimara, who was Avatar Zuroc's right-hand commander, and she was worse than Zuroc during her pursuit of world domination; the name was said to be controlled. Everyone expected me to turn out the same way."

Azula closed her eyes, reminiscing how she was an outcast everywhere she went except for the Air Temples. She did not even dare go to the Fire Nation at all, lest worse memories spring from that name, which was likely also more common there in its history.

"You never told me this," said Zakura,

"Because it's painful to bring up," Azula replied, "I was despised by both groups, both of which thought I would become some sort of manipulator or traitor or something. I can understand why naming me Azula could be considered a hate crime. And of course, I later learned that my last name, Caroso, was notorious for criminal acts [though I can vouch that as truth, as I'm no longer innocent of that] and such."

"All because of a name," Zakura spat, "seriously, Azula, "what sort of messed up world were you living in?"

"A world where prejudice runs rampant, Zak," Azula replied, her eyes still closed, "I was kicked around until I finally found what was right for me. I decided that if the world was going to torment me, that I should do my duty in repaying the favor. I became a Zuroc Sensei, and I became a pirate. I was a prodigy, just like my namesake, both in firebending, and in the arts of the Zuroc Sensei. I moved up the ranks rapidly, gaining many followers, just like Avatar Zuroc had done. However, instead of taking over the world, we just decided that a little havoc here and there wouldn't hurt anyone."

"And so that's what we did," she continued, "and we continued until we met Tenoko Dragmire. She was the one who organized us; she was a good firm leader. After hearing her back-story, I knew at once that mine was nothing like hers—the losses she suffered; I never had anything to lose; I simply had nothing to lose to begin with. Tenoko... she lost everything she held dear. I'd go into further detail, but it's a sensitive subject for me too, 'coz I've grown so close to Tenoko over the years. You'll all have to get it from her."

Azula paused, and then took a deep breath before continuing.

"From here though," she said, "things get a little better, but I've done some things that I'm not so proud of. Probably the worst thing I did was capture a young firebender named Katara Altina II."

"That was you who took her," Sokka exclaimed, "you were the one who took my sister two years ago?"

"Aye," Azula replied, closing her eyes and lowering her head, "I am not going to lie and say she was treated badly. She was treated like the rest of us. It was the fact that we took her against her will, and at that young of an age."

Sokka looked upset; he could tell that Azula was sincerely sorry for what she had done, but the fact remained that she had done what she did to Katara, and that was what upset him.

"She was only 13," he remarked, "how could you do that to her? She was broken; lost in all possible ways and you have to go and pull a stunt like that and make her life even worse..."

"Look," said Azula flatly, "I said I was sorry for taking her. I have no other excuses, and other than my apology, there is nothing that I can or am willing to do. Either you accept it like she did, or reject it. It's your choice, but my conscience is clear."

"What was she like when she was with you," Sokka asked,

"She kept herself away from the rest of us," Azula replied, "Like she was in her own little world. She always looked so lonely and sad. It was probably that reason why we all decided to sympathize and befriend her. She became happier after that, but still looked lonely."

"She misses her father," Katara I replied, "he meant everything to her." And she was taken from me only a few months before you took her."

"She lives hoping to be able to reunite with us," Sokka replied, "she's desperate. She wants to see her family again. That's all she ever talks about. I think she's lost part of her mind."

Azula frowned. "I said I was sorry," she said, "but I assume you want more information out of me. Your sister believes that this will be the place where she dies. She comes with the intent of not returning."

"She's lost her mind," Sokka exclaimed, "I need to get to her; now."

"I would not recommend it," said Azula, starting to be able to stand up again, for she was regaining her strength; "she's towards the top of the tower, awaiting her worthy opponent."

"And who is that," Sokka asked,

"We are not sure," Azula replied, "but don't worry, you should know that your sister is powerful. She's not going to get killed from this mess. Besides, she's got Orzon and Ayumi on her side."

"So she's alright then," Katara I asked,

"Aye," Azula replied, "she's too tough to die. I've never seen such a resilient spirit."

"So," said Zakura, standing up as well, "is there still anyone too weak to stand, or is everyone good now?"

Everyone seemed to be 'good', and as a result, they could continue their march towards the top of the tower. The next room was actually empty, and instead had a cryptic message in the middle of the floor.

"_Water; Earth; Fire; Air; Long ago, the Four Nations lived in harmony together. That all changed with the rise of Avatar Zuroc. Spreading her malice into the world, with the attempt to take it over and rule it as her own. She was brought back to normalcy by the 21__st__ generation of the Serenes Villagers; namely Kai Serenes XXI. The peace was supposedly restored after the power-hungry avatar attempted to repair her damage, but there remained extremists who wish to end her life and the Avatar Cycle forever. This is the group that later formed The Order of the Avatar Slayer, which exists to this day."_

"Ah," Azula exclaimed, "this place looks familiar when me and some others scoped this place out through the upper walls. The next chamber has some of the most powerful Kyoshi warriors The Order has. Logically, they set their pawns out to guard the outside of the tower, to give them a false sense of what exactly is inside. These ones air fierce. They're bloodthirsty savages known as The Masahiro Warriors.

"Wait," Taki exclaimed, "Masahiro, you say?"

"Aye," Azula replied, "you know these people?"

"There's a large probability that my family could be among them," Taki replied, "but considering that they want to slit my throat and drink my blood as much as I want to do it to them, sympathy won't be necessary."

Taki's statement did get a few eyes popping, but they consented.

"You are likely to be the one most affected out there," Cheng replied, putting an arm around her, "as long as you're alright with it."

"I'll be fine," Taki replied, "besides, look what happened in that last room; that was their work." She pointed to Azula and the other Zuroc Sensei that had survived. "We'll be fine. Look at her. Her intellect and wisdom will work for the time being—Azula Caroso's Wisdom."


	85. Chapter 85: The Masahiro Family

Chapter 85: The Masahiro Family

The Avatar Guard, or rather, Zakura's Elite, all stepped into the next room. In front of them was an army of elite Kyoshi Warriors. There were also men in their ranks, but they appeared as Dai Li. Among them were Taki's parents and all four of her siblings. Of these, Taki was the 4th of 5 and the Masahiro Family's only daughter.

"Well, well, well," said a man who was obviously Taki's father, "if it isn't little Taki showing up here; I never thought you'd amount to anything, girl; especially after abandoning your training."

"I did amount to nothing," Taki replied, grinning widely, "nothing that you hoped for me to be. That's why I joined The Avatar Guard. I knew it would make you all angry, and I loved it. Best of all though, I found my sweetheart, and he wasn't some stuck up rich snob like we all were."

She clung to 'her Cheng-Cheng' when she said this, and she had absolutely no remorse. She then suddenly jumped forward brandishing her notoriously razor-sharp Kyoshi fans.

"Be careful," she warned, giggling, "You might cut yourself if you think of them too long."

"You sure you're willing to kill your own family?" Zakura asked, slightly skeptical at Taki's eagerness to attack her own flesh and blood;

"Of course I am," Taki replied, "anything to set them off; I never liked how they treated me—always trying to get me to believe the same things they did; it drove me nuts."

"Do you really think that one child is capable of defeating the rest of her family," Taki's mother cackled, "don't make us laugh,"

"Look here, Taki's mom," said Zakura, stepping forward, her fist clenched, "I'm the avatar. These are my best friends and some of the best fighters in the world. I guarantee that if you put up a resistance that you will be killed. It's your last chance to back down."

"Back down," Taki's father exclaimed laughing, "did you hear that boys? She actually thinks we would ever consider backing down."

Taki's four brothers laughed. The next thing they did though was completely unexpected, and it set the Avatar Guard off. Someone from the ranks [not one of Taki's relatives] had thrown a knife directly at Taki, and it had nailed her in the dead center of her chest. Her Kyoshi Armor had blocked part of the impact, but she was bleeding nonetheless, and was quite shocked, wide-eyed and everything.

"looks like your sweetheart's gonna have to watch you die early, Taki," one of the Kyoshi Warriors taunted, but was immediately silenced by a pair of Kyoshi knives that flew out of nowhere and severed the woman's head completely. Everyone, even Taki, turned to see who had thrown it. The only person they could see was Zuki, grinning innocently.

"fight time," said Meili, "mom, do whatever it takes to get Zuki's knives back, and whatever you do, DO NOT LET ANYONE TOUCH ZUKI."

Zuki nodded, and everyone shot forward. Shinon stepped back to help heal Taki, and Alzar stood in front of them to make sure no one got through to Taki and finished her off in her weak state.

"Let me go," said Taki, "I wanna get 'em. I want to slit their throats!"

"Hold on," said Shinon darkly, "just shut up and let me fix this so you don't die, alright?"

"Fine," Taki groaned, and a few moments later, she was no longer bleeding, so she had full intention of attacking the Dai Li and Kyoshi Warriors, which also included her family.

The Kyoshi Warriors were an incredible match for Zakura's Elite, as they were called nowadays. However, Azula and the three surviving Zuroc Sensei that had joined them gave them an edge.

Taki meanwhile, was in a 2-on-1 duel against her parents.

"Remember," she chuckled, "even if I do end up slitting your throats, I'll still love you in that special way."

"It's one of the honors of life," they replied, "if you recall, we once said that 'good' and 'evil' are only perceptions of the mind. It may not mean that we love you or support your beliefs, but should we kill you or you kill us, it will be accepted as part of the order of life."

"Alright then," Taki giggled, "let's spill some blood!"

Zuki meanwhile, was a one-woman army. Fighting against a swarm of Dai Li, she was following Meili's order with strict obedience. She had recovered her Kyoshi knives and was slashing anyone who came near her. Some of the men actually thought Zuki was rather attractive [because she was] and planned to capture her, but Zuki's prowess was unmatched. She was not even using any of her bending skills, but this was about to change.

One of the Dai Li shot two rock fists that clasped Zuki's dress and pulled. Her dress loosened, but didn't come off. Nonetheless, this frightened Zuki, and these fighters obviously did now know that frightening Zuki is one thing a person should never do.

Like Katara II and Sokka, Zuki was a chi-dominant bender. Chi-dominant benders are benders whose chi energy governs a lot of their movements, resulting in periodic uncontrollable amounts of energy being released at various times. It was able to be contained, [except for Katara, whose energy was so great that it was impossible for even the strongest person to control] but took training.

It varied by person, but every chi-dominant bender would always have periodic spurts of powerful bending energy. Zuki, whose level of intelligence was not capable of understanding this, actually had a reflex that set it off. Any time that she was frightened or startled, it would trigger the mechanism inside her body, and she would let out a powerful devastating earthbending attack.

This was what the Dai Li had sparked. Zuki jumped up and hit the ground with incredible force, sending huge, jagged rocks up that blasted shards off in several directions, killing most of the enemies right there,. This made everyone turn [and the fact that Zuki's dress had come loose when she jumped, but luckily she remembered to pull it back up before anyone saw her for too long].

Again, Zuki just smiled innocently. Among the dead were Taki's four brothers, which was actually a saving grace, for two of them were going after Taki, and the other two were going after Cheng, and had almost killed them, for they both were badly wounded.

Zuki's earth rumble had done extensive amounts of damage to everyone without exception, but no one on The Avatar Guard's side had fallen yet. One of them actually triggered Zakura's Avatar State that caused her to go berserk and destroy nearly everyone in the area was who part of The Order. The only ones left fighting were Taki and her parents.

Using her trademark brass fans and her powerful feet, Taki was able to block and deflect many of the rocks that were thrown at her. She resumed her offensive approach, and soon had both her mother and father in range to finish them. They were at their mercy.

"I don't figure that you two will surrender yourselves to my dazzling skills," she remarked, "so before we end this fight, I just want you two to know that I'll always hold a special place in my heart for you."

She paused, and then smirked evilly,

"So that said," she remarked, "shall we dance?"

However, they did not answer. Instead of submitting to Taki, they had their own idea of how to go out.

"Your whole family lies dead in front of you," they remarked, "think of that wherever you go next, Taki Masahiro. 'Dazzle' us with your moves next time we see each other. You have no family anymore."

With that, Taki watched her parents die. It was not a forced death like Kimiko, but rather, they killed themselves then and there, because they knew that they had lost. Anyone who had survived the damage from Zakura's Avatar State was quickly finished off, and then they were alone. They were going to need serious amounts of rest after this.

It was during their rest in the next room [which was thankfully empty] that it finally dawned upon Taki what had just happened.

"Regardless," she said, clinging to Cheng tightly, "they were still my family. I... I guess I was too arrogant when I said that I could do without ever seeing them again."

Cheng closed his eyes, tightly embracing the watery-eyed Kyoshi Warrior, who was now the last member of her family, thanks to deeds of their own doing, not hers.

"My family lies dead in the room behind us," Taki wailed, finally realizing the magnitude of her situation, "I'm never going to see them again."

"So you realized that you were wrong," said Cheng, gently running his hand on her back. It was dulled by her Kyoshi uniform, but Taki felt it nonetheless. "You realized that you did care about them."

"They're still my family," she said, "My mom; my dad; my younger brother and my 3 older ones—they're all gone."

Taki broke down crying into Cheng's shoulder. The others would have given her sympathy, but there were a few people that had to be dragged into the next room because they were unconscious. They also figured that if anyone was there to give Taki sympathy, it would be her husband.

"Sympathies, Taki Alesha," said Zakura gravely, "my family will likely be in here as well waiting for fight us. I can see your situation."

She then left her in the comfort of Cheng, returning to see if she could help some of the more wounded.

"Why did they do that though," Cheng asked her, "why did they kill themselves like that?"

"Because they're deranged," Taki replied, "just like I am. That's just part of the lifestyle of The Masahiro Family."


	86. Chapter 86: Kai Serenes and Zuko Altina

Chapter 86: Kai Serenes and Zuko Altina

Dozuku ["The Commoner"] and Kiya ["The Calm"] both woke up a while later. Luckily for them they were in some far-off corner of the room, as more Order reinforcements had arrived and were filling the room. After all, even if The Avatar Guard did succeed in their mission to overthrow Xin Shing, they would still have to get back out.

"You got a plan, Dozuku," Kiya whispered, "'coz there are far too many of them for us to take out this time. It seems that we chose a bad location to sleep tonight."

"Aye," Dozuku replied, "that we certainly did. I can see the brilliance in this ploy though, can't you?"

"Aye," Kiya replied, "Logically, this is the last room that anyone passes through before leaving the tower. By this time The Avatar Guard will be worn out unless we can get princess Zakura to unleash the full power of the Avatar State again."

Suddenly there was a large rumbling noise from above them. Though they didn't know this, this was Zuki's earth rumble. Right before this, Zakura had actually triggered the Avatar State, but that was not a powerful enough force to bring the tower down. She would have to trigger more energy than that—she'd likely have to give Katara Altina II a run for her money.

"Let's hope she decides to do that AFTER she finishes her task," Dozuku replied, "if she decided to take the tower down here and now, things would not be very lovely."

Kiya chuckled quietly at Dozuku's remark.

"That's true," she remarked, "nonetheless, the layout of this tower seems to be something of pretty high logic. I would personally say that it was the logic of Katara Altina II."

"Katara," Dozuku said quietly, "what do you know of her, Kiya?"

"She's powerful," Kiya replied, "very powerful. If the theories are true, she has more bending energy than anyone else in the world. What do you know about her?"

"I've been imprisoned for over 10 years," Dozuku remarked, chuckling slightly, "the last time I saw little Katara was when she was 4 or so. She was still crazy-powerful, but what is she like now?"

"You seem close to her, Dozuku," Kiya remarked, "is there some type of connection between you and her that I'm not aware of yet?"

Dozuku paused for a long time, and then finally decided to answer.

"Aye, Kai," he replied, using "Kiya's" real name, "I'm her father."

Kai's eyes actually popped open, and she would have gasped had Dozuku's reflexes not been quick enough to cover her mouth."

"SSHH," he whispered, "we still need to get past these blokes. Come, let us move out; I'll tell you on the way. We can exchange information."

Kai stood up, and followed Katara's father.

"My real name is Zuko Altina," he told her for starters, "what's yours?"

"My full name is Kai Serenes XLIII," Kai replied, "I am a direct descendant of Avatar Kai Serenes II and her mother, Kai Serenes I."

Zuko chuckled as the two of them navigated the tower using the passageways in the walls like Tenoko and Azula had; "you certainly have taken after them," he remarked, "and aye, I recognized that name from anywhere. Some-odd generations ago, one of your ancestors was the one to prevent Avatar Zuroc from taking your village."

"Aye," Kai replied, "and now you know why I was called 'The Calm'; despite your witty remarks about it being a stupid name."

"It kind of was," Zuko chuckled, "so was mine."

Kai simply chuckled. "Very well then," she remarked, "so, what is it that you wanted to know about Katara?"

"Everything you can tell me," he replied as they slipped into the next room; they had already slipped up to the 4th floor, for they were not trying to rendezvous with the Avatar Guard, but rather, get to The Dark Warrior and Katara Altina II; "how is my little baby?"

"I'm unsure," Kai replied, "the last time I saw her she was on the battlefield. Then a man only known as The Warrior of the Black Hand seemed to have taken her place. I was actually in the Northern Water Tribe when that happened. I thought it was her, but the fact that The Dark Warrior saw her mother and brother and did nothing made me have my doubts. She seemed desperate to see her family."

Zuko cursed under his breath.

"What has that man done with my daughter," he growled, though whether he was referring to The Dark Warrior or Xin Shing was unclear. Neither Kai nor Zuko knew that The Warrior of the Black Hand and Katara Altina II were the same person.

"Zuko," said Kai softly, putting one of her hands on his shoulder; underneath her dark blue cloak, Kai had a sleeveless shirt, baggy pants, and huge, loose bands around her wrists. Like every generation of Kai Serenes, she also had a blue tattoo shaped like an 'N' with a curved tail on her right upper arm, sort of like a backwards 'y'. She also had her hands and forearms wrapped up to the fingertips, as Kai packed a powerful punch aside from her waterbending prowess.

Her face was gentle, her brilliant blue eyes almost entrancing. She had decent-length brown hair that she wore up in a bun, which made it look shorter than it was. Her face, normally set in a calm expression, matched her name 'Serenes' quite well.

"What is it?" he said darkly, turning around. Underneath his dark red cloak, he looked much like Sokka Altina, though his frumpy hair was black, [his wife, Katara I, had lighter brown hair than their children] and was slightly longer. Like his wife and children, he had a pointed face, and strong eyes that created a piercing glare when he was serious. Like Sokka, he had a small amount of hair on his chin as well.

His skin was lighter though, and like most firebenders, his eyes were gold. Their children had taken almost matching appearances with them: Sokka greatly resembled his father, while Katara greatly resembled her mother; though Sokka's eyes were obviously his mothers, while Katara clearly had her father's eyes.

Zuko's clothing was much like Katara's though, just like Sokka's was like his mother's, slight adjustments made of course for the different genders. All in all, if the family ever united, it would be obvious that they were related. Zuko's lighter skin and Katara I's darker skin resulted in their offspring having an unusual skin color that was clearly a cross between the two, forming a tan color. Similarly, Zuko's jet-black hair, combined with Katara I's brown hair gave the children a very dark brown hair color. Notable differences though show that both Sokka's hair is slightly straighter than his father's and Katara's hair is curlier than her mother's.

"Zuko," said Kai again, "if your daughter is anything like you, then she's definitely going to be alright."

"But that's the thing," he said, "she's not like me. She has more power than I can even imagine. The rate her power was growing at when I last saw her has most likely escalated it to absurd proportions. I think the only person who could truly understand her would be herself."

"She has gone through a lot," Kai replied, "from my extent of knowledge; she's been all over the world. People want her for her power, Zuko. It is as you have feared. But that it why we came here, is it not?"

"Aye," Zuko growled again, "I've had it with The Order screwing up my family; Spirits know what else they've done; I've been imprisoned for far too long. Thank you for helping me bust out, Kai."

"You're welcome," Kai replied, "and I will assist you in finding your family until they are reunited or until death takes me."

"You're not going to die," Zuko replied, "if anyone is, it's my daughter. It's not long until that comet comes. That means..."

He paused for a moment, calculating things in.

"That means that it's almost her 16th birthday," he said, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth; he had disappeared shortly before Katara's 5th birthday, so it was nearly 11 years since he had last seen her.

"That comet was destined to send Katara's powers through the roof," he continued, "and the day of its arrival was set to be 16 years after we had had the child. It's going to kill her."

"I am deeply sorry," Kai replied, "I wish that there was something I could do to help save your daughter."

"I just want to see her one last time before she goes," Zuko replied determinedly as they were now ascending through the walls onto the 7th floor, "I want her to know that I'm sorry I failed her."

"Every time I saw her," said Kai reassuringly, "she was always sounding determined. She trained herself hard; pushed herself far beyond the normal limits that a 15-year-old girl's body possesses. Most people would say she tortured herself, but not me. I saw what she wanted; she wanted to gain enough control over her powers so that she could live through that comet and make her dead father proud of her. If she knew you were alive, that would probably give her enough determination alone to live through it."

"How tall is this place," Zuko exclaimed,

"According to Kai Serenes Legend," Kai replied, "it's about 20 stories high; 600 feet tall approximately."

The rooms in this tower were huge; each one being about 30 feet high.

"then let us make haste," Zuko replied, racing onwards, making their way toward the 8th floor now; "The Order will solemnly regret ever messing with Kai Serenes and Zuko Altina."


	87. Chapter 87: A Time to Strategize

Chapter 87: A Time to Strategize

The final epiphany that Taki's entire family was now dead in the room behind him turned out to affect Taki much harder than any of them, even Taki herself, had thought. Thankfully Cheng was there to comfort her, for it was here where she was in dire need of it.

All Cheng could really do was give her comfort, as there was no bringing back the dead. It was a little while before she was able to collect herself, and even if she hadn't, the group as a whole was severely injured, and since the Kyoshi Warriors were chi-blockers, some of the members could not use one or both of their arms or they walked with a slight limp.

"We can't continue like this," said Alzar, who herself was among those who could not stand, as both her legs had been disabled, "if we continue at a rate like this it'll be days before we reach the top."

"I'm not going to push any of you, farther than you can go," Zakura declared, "I don't want you to die; any of you."

"And we don't plan to," Shinon replied, "but Alzar has a point. We can't proceed like this if we plan to see Xin Shing any time this week."

"Then what do you propose we do?" Zakura asked,

"Surely it's obvious," said Zeruda, "we scout ahead. Send some of the smallest warriors with the keenest senses that are not hurt."

Unfortunately, that too was an issue, as Sanaki has lost the use of an arm and had gotten some nasty cuts. Meili also had been disabled at the neck, leaving only her motor skills intact. Lehran had volunteered to watch over Zuki until Meili recovered.

Malak had suffered a similar fate, as well as Aiku, Zinjamyn, Iresu, and Katara I. Alzar, Sanaki, Vigo, Cheng, and Koara had trouble standing, and most of the others were bleeding rather badly and/or had lost the use of one or both of their arms. The only one who was completely unhurt was Zuki.

Zakura herself was not disabled, but was bleeding freely. She seemed to be disregarding it. Lehran was also for the most part alright, but he was watching over Zuki. Little Altina had not been hurt in the last battle, but the nasty cut on her forehead over her eyes was clearly going to turn into a scar, as even after it was healed, it still bore a deep gash. Lehran was too gentle to hold a grudge, and Altina was not suffering anymore [or so it appeared; she seemed content where she was and she was not crying] so he was 'over it' for the most part.

After a brief survey of the group, Reyson and Mulan were found to be the only ones in any fighting condition. This proved to be very useful, as Mulan had been here before, and so she knew the place. Since there was only two of them instead of 24, they would be able to easily navigate through the walls, assuming they knew where and how to, and if it was even necessary.

"Are you two in for it?" Zeruda asked, mostly asking Reyson, as he was her son; Mulan's decision was her own to make.

"I am," Reyson replied resolutely;

"And so am I," Mulan added, "We'll scout out this thing from top to bottom—well, from here to the top."

"You all rest up," said Reyson, "we'll tell you what's here and what isn't"

With that, they disappeared up into the tower while the others recovered from their injuries. Both of them were full of energy for the most part, as their injuries had been minimal.

On the 3rd floor, they found absolutely nothing of importance in any of the four enormous rooms that comprised it. There had been signs of a battle though in some of the rooms, as Zuroc Sensei, Kyoshi Warriors, and soldiers from the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, and Fire Nation were seen around the area, most of them dead. Division 79 was doing its job, and it was doing its job well.

The 4th floor was surprisingly almost completely empty. The only living person Reyson and Mulan saw was a waterbender who they recognized at once as Tenoko. Reyson was tempted to call out to her, but decided against it, and because Mulan had warned him to be completely quiet. It was unknown what could be heard and from where in this tower.

The 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th floors all showed signs of small skirmishes, but nothing too huge. It seemed that most of the strong forces were that bottom of the tower, and this led Mulan to deduct that there might also be some last minute defenses towards the top.

There were a few forces on the 9th floor, which might prove a challenge, though that was actually part of an active skirmish, the survivors of Division 79 holding their ground as the powerful Zuroc Sensei they were known to be. At once Mulan understood what Ryuka had meant when he had mentioned Division 79 without them actually in the combat they thought Ryuka had been talking about.

To the surprise of Reyson and Mulan, the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th floors were all completely empty, without any signs of a battle going on; no blood, no bodies; nothing.

"It's an illusion," Reyson exclaimed, looking down at the emptiness of the last room in the 16th floor, "no wonder the legends of whole armies turning back is true. They see the first few floors and get worn out, and assume that the other 17 are the same way."

"Xin Shing works in mysterious ways," Mulan replied, "I may despise him as a person, but I respect him for his intellect on certain tactics."

"Or perhaps this was the work of one of his comrades," said Reyson, "what were their names; that earthbender and firebender couple;"

"Zhin and Tu-Sung," Mulan exclaimed, also thinking about how Ju Long, her husband, had been with them, "oh ho, this is definitely some of their work. But let us not linger much longer, for the avatar's group awaits our return with the report."

"Aye," Reyson remarked, "let's move up."

The 17th floor was all empty save for a pair of waterbenders in the 3rd room. Reyson and Mulan both recognized them as Michiko and Fukuda.

"It'd be a lot easier to take them out if all of our forces were doing better," Mulan remarked as they crossed unseen into the next room, which was empty, "but alas, Zhin thinks well. Chances are that those two expect a two-on-two fight or something."

"I guess we'll find out," Reyson replied, not having much else to add.

The two of them ascended to the 18th floor, and this time were intercepted by a gang of Zuroc Sensei in the 2nd room, out of Fukuda and Michiko's hearing range [presumably]. However, one of them recognized Mulan from an old meeting; it was an airbender.

"Mulan," he exclaimed, "is that you under there?"

Mulan smiled.

"Aye," she replied, "aye, it is. This boy here is Prince Reyson of The Avatar Guard as well. We are your allies, my friend."

"Brilliant," he remarked happily, "we're sort of stuck in a bind. Katara vanished, and our scouts told us that there is a pair of earthbenders over in the last room."

"Reinforcements are on their way," Mulan replied, smiling back; "we are just here to scout it out. Hold tightly."

"We will," they chuckled, "'coz that's about all we CAN do at this point. Luckily they haven't tried to come kill us yet."

Among these Zuroc Sensei was Rafai, Katara's semi-'crush', but neither Reyson nor Mulan knew that at this point. They crept back through the walls and checked the next room. In it were Zhang and Zao Lin. They knew that this could not be anything good, and so they progressed up to the 19th floor, glad that their "expedition" was almost over.

It was not until the 3rd room that they actually saw anything. Sitting on a throne of some sort was a warrior clad in black, though it looked like the armor had been "upgraded" somehow.

"Is that Katara," Reyson whispered,

"It's hard to tell," Mulan replied, "That armor has certainly changed since I last time saw it. What do you think?"

"I was thinking the same thing." Reyson responded, "Though I do hope that poor Katara is alright."

"As do I," Mulan added, "but there's no time to stop and ask; especially if that isn't her. We need to scout the last parts of this tower out."

Orzon and Ayumi were in the next room, just beyond The Warrior of the Black Hand. There was likely a betrayal scheme going on here, and both Reyson and Mulan hoped that The Order was still the one being betrayed. Regardless, they finally ascended to the final floor.

Again, the first room was empty. The second one was as well. The third room was inhabited by Zhin and Tu-Sung, and they were both conversing about something. They listened to what they were saying.

"...and the fire prince and the airbender inside the far wall that are listening to our conversation, if anything, should be praised for finally thinking of sending scouts to learn where everything is." Zhin continued, not turning, "They will also learn that Yang is in the next room and that Xin Shing is on the roof."

They darted off, both nervous, but at least part of Zhin's statement was true. Yang was in the room behind Zhin and Tu-Sung, but the passages in the walls did not go to the roof, and neither one of them wanted to take changes with Yang just yet.

"Make haste," said Mulan, "we need to tell the others."

They made their way back safely and began to recount their tale. They now planned to use some of this recovery time as A Time to Strategize.


	88. Chapter 88: The Anguish of Tenoko

Chapter 88: The Anguish of Tenoko

The Avatar Guard was halted at that point until the group could get up and make their way to the next floor. They passed the 3rd floor and the 4th floor until they got to the room where Tenoko was.

She looked like she had been through a little rough time herself. She was a little cut, bruised, and scarred, but otherwise looked alright. She could still stand and use her limbs alright.

"Tenoko," Zakura exclaimed, laughing, There you are, you blithering idiot. I was almost ready to consider worrying about you."

Tenoko laughed, "Thanks for the compliment," she remarked, "I'll be sure to take it in with my next drink."

"Oh no, you don't," said Iresu, "We don't need another drunk on the field."

Tenoko laughed hard.

"Iresu," she remarked, "you do NOT know Tenoko Dragmire. I'm always drunk when I fight. If I fight sober I lose focus."

"Tenoko," said Zeruda, "you're drunk again."

"Aye, I am," she replied, "your point?"

She paused for a moment.

"Actually," she said, "I'm not drunk yet. I'm saving that for the battle."

She paused and surveyed Zakura's Elite; she fit right in with the injuries she had, and she was glad that no one was dead yet.

"Glad to see you all are alright," she said, "I take it you've sent people to scout out the area?"

"Aye," Zakura replied, "Reyson and Mulan finished that not long ago. We planned to regroup with you and then rest up a bit, hoping to stall for time until that skirmish on the 9th floor subsides."

"You should tell your story, mom," Malak remarked, "tell us what happened. I've been dying to learn how it all went down."

"Aye," Zeruda added, "do tell it; even we haven't heard it from your lips."

Tenoko's smile disappeared.

"I can't," she said, "There is a reason I don't bring it up."

"Don't be like this, mom," Maric interjected, "I've never seen you unhappy. I don't think any of us have."

Tenoko closed her eyes and turned away.

"Because I try to leave those painful memories behind," she replied, and even her voice sounded depressing. The cheery air that was normally in Tenoko's unusual accent had vanished.

"Mom," said Malak gently, putting both of her hands around one of Tenoko's; Malak's hands were definitely her mothers, as they were decent-sized for a girl her age, and Tenoko was known for her huge hands and feet. "Look at who you're talking to; The Order has affected us all in some way."

"I know it has," Tenoko replied, "but to relive the horrors of those two nights... it's... I can't do it."

"Two nights," Maric exclaimed, slightly skeptical, "it took two nights for us to be taken and dad to die?"

Tenoko knew at once that she had said too much.

"Never mind that," she said slightly stiffly. She gently pulled her hand out of Malak's grasp, and started walking towards the door that led to the next room. Maric and Malak would have followed her, but Sanaki of all people was the one to stop them, gently placing an arm on each one's shoulder. This was not the right time.

"She feels terrible," Sanaki remarked, detecting Tenoko's emotions. Suddenly, her pale eyes flew open.

"Oh-oh my," she exclaimed as Tenoko disappeared behind the door. "She... she's... oh dear..."

"What is it?" the others asked, for Sanaki sounded scared.

Alzar's eyes were the next to flip open.

"Tenoko Dragmire is crying behind that door," she said gravely, "whatever this is, this is serious; this must have been something that destroyed her life when it happened. She needs to let it out."

Malak's eyes watered, and she wasn't the only one. It was as if the happiness had been drained from the area and that only Zuki's innocence was keeping it alive at all.

Tenoko's positive attitude about life had always been a strong point, and to know that she was just beyond the door breaking down was like someone had taken a hammer to the keystone of their firmness. They were almost all awestruck after learning this.

Eventually, they as a group decided to go into the next room. They assumed it was empty because Tenoko hadn't come running out, and Reyson and Mulan's reports were accurate as well. Similarly, they decided that Maric and Malak should be the ones to try and talk to her.

"Mom," said Maric, putting his hand on her shoulder, turning away from Malak, though hearing her also start to cry, "What happened? One moment you were strong and happy, the next moment you just... crashed. What happened? Are you going to be alright?"

Tenoko did not look up, though Zakura's Elite gathered around her [keeping their distance, but close enough to hear her if she said anything];

"Don't ever make me repeat this story," she said, sniffling, "it was horrible." She paused, and took a deep breath.

"My first husband and I married when I was 18," said Tenoko, "it's a complicated story, so I'll cut to the part where it hurt. We had been married a couple of years when the raid occurred. My husband told me to get out of there, since I was on my way home. He said he would take the babies; my little twin darlings..."

She trailed off.

"I never saw them again," she said eventually, "or rather, when they were alive. I was able to look upon them one last time at their funeral.

The next thing that hurt me was when Xin Shing himself took me, the still broken-down 21-year-old ex-mother, to the top of his tower. Incidentally, his words were not as bad as I had thought. Once we had reached the roof, he unbound me."

"Do you know why you are here?" Xin Shing asked, pacing around the roof as the injured Tenoko stood where she was, staggering to stay on her feet; she had been kidnapped and brought there by brutal force, though ironically, Xin Shing had just requested her, and not how she ' was supposed to be taken;

"No," the younger Tenoko replied, "no I do not."

"Because a new Order is rising," he replied, "and that Southern Water Tribe is part of the group that supported the Avatar during the days where she almost took over the world. They have always been avid supporters of The Avatar ever since that girl some thousand years ago found an avatar in an iceberg."

"But why me," Tenoko asked, "why did you have to do this to me?"

She was not referring to her wounds [though some were rather nasty], but rather, why did he have to destroy her family.

"It was not my intent," Xin Shing replied, "believe me, Tenoko, I am not the most bloodthirsty man out there. Perhaps the group that volunteered to make the raid was one of the more violent ones. I had actually instructed them to bring everyone back alive."

"They killed my babies," Tenoko snapped, "my little tiny helpless children! They murdered them off just like they did with my husband!"

"Precisely," Xin Shing replied, calmly blocking the attacks Tenoko began throwing in her fury, "THEY did; not me. I did not even instruct them to. They did what they wanted to."

"My family is dead thanks to you!" she roared, charging at him again, but Xin Shing simply pulled out a staff, parried Tenoko's attack ad flipped her into the air, slamming her onto her back. She stood up again. Xin Shing casually began walking towards the edge of the rooftop, where if one fell off, they would drop all the way down. Tenoko followed him.

"Let me out of here," she growled

"As you wish," Xin Shing replied calmly, and he spun around and kicked Tenoko forward, so that she fell right off the edge. The tower was about 700 feet tall, so if Tenoko hit the ground, she would easily die.

He watched as she plunged towards the ground, screaming loudly. She was helpless, and she was going to die. However, Xin Shing went after her, intercepting her fall just before she hit the ground, using airbending to reduce their momentum, so that he could let her go unhurt before he shot back up towards the top of the tower again.

Naturally, young Tenoko had almost had a heart attack after free-falling over 690 feet and almost dying. She was breathing heavily, and was shaken from the event. She was also afraid of heights as a result of this. The worst part about all of this though was that she knew Xin Shing was right. It was not 'his' fault directly, especially because he had instructed his warriors to take prisoners instead of kills.

"You all know the second story," Tenoko replied, "and after losing my husband and children for the 2nd time, it was just too much. I took to heavy drinking to avoid thinking about it, and I found that it had me thinking about life more positive. Still, to know that my babies are gone... again; for the 2nd time..."

"But we're not gone," said Maric gently, holding his sister's hand, "we're right here in front of you, alive and well."

Tenoko looked at them, her eyes darting from Maric's face to Malak's, and then back again. She threw herself around them and locked them in a tight embrace. No one else said anything.

Like with Taki, this was not going to be something that would just be able to be put aside, even as the group continued up the tower a while later. Nevertheless, now they all know and understood why she did not speak of these things when she could avoid it. This was the explanation for The Anguish of Tenoko.


	89. Chapter 89: The Feats of Sanaki Foxx

Chapter 89: The Feats of Sanaki Foxx

The Avatar Guard continued on up the tower. Reyson and Mulan warned the group of the skirmish that had been happening on the 9th floor both on their way up and their way back, and so they were going to plan accordingly.

"Though the Zuroc Sensei looked like they'd be able to handle it," Mulan said, finishing, "so perhaps we should just wait it out."

"I agree," Zakura replied, "the only one who is in any fighting condition who isn't going to bleed all over the place is Zuki, and without Meili to guide her, she'd be getting into serious trouble."

Sanaki was the next one to speak up. She seemed to be recovering the quickest, for she was a little bit jumpy.

"So it's decided then?" she asked, "We plan to wait it out?"

"I can see the logic in that," Zeruda remarked, "we've got Alzar and Sanaki to check the melee through the walls; and Meili can as well if she regains her mind soon enough."

Upon reaching the room just before the battlefield, they paused, with Alzar and Sanaki feeling the wall. Alzar was limping still, but Sanaki seemed alright, as if she had already fully recovered the complete use of her arms and legs.

"It's still going," Alzar remarked, "it seems that there were a few reinforcements or something for The Order."

"Perhaps I can help them," said Sanaki, opening the door and running in before the others could do anything.

"Do we follow her?" Maric asked,

"Aye, let's," said Zinjamyn, "but let's keep out of the fray, lest we get dragged into it and some of us get killed, you know?"

Everyone agreed, and so they stuck to the walls after slipping in. None of the Zuroc Sensei, good or evil, paid any attention to them, as they all looked ready to fall down dead anyways.

Sanaki had joined the fray, and her performance was incredible. It was as if Zuroc Sensei were her specialty. She was still light on her feet, and she was incredibly fast. Her running speed alone could likely exceed that of just about anyone in the group, and it did exceed that of even the powerful Zuroc Sensei.

Sanaki's face was calm and concentrated. Her glazed eyes almost looked like they were actually focusing, despite their inability to do so because of their lack of functionality. Nevertheless, the lack of eyesight had never stopped Sanaki Foxx before, and it wasn't about to deter her for the first time in her 17-year life.

"Anyone who wants to fight," Zakura whispered, "can go on in of course. It's not for me to decide what you do anymore."

"You've been making decisions for our well-being, Zakura," Shinon replied, "and we don't want to die any more than you do; we're going to be here for you until Xin Shing is defeated, and afterwards."

"For now though," Tenoko laughed, "let's see how well youngest child and the only daughter of the Foxx Family fares; I doubt she's going to need anyone's help, especially with these other Zuroc Sensei here."

Tenoko had a point. Sanaki did not need anything. She planted her bare feet firmly on the ground and began blasting fireballs out towards her opponent in intricate formations. Whatever she was doing, she knew it well, and was certainly a prodigy at it.

Nevertheless, just because she was not only the Foxx Family's only daughter, but also their youngest and most prodigious child, did not mean that she had received any special treatment as a child. She was treated just like the rest of her siblings. With the exception of her mother and her 3rd eldest brother, they were all blind anyways. Sanaki was a generally aloof child initially, mostly because she was the only girl and she lived with a decent-sized brawl of older boys [her brothers]

Sanaki was zigzagging this way and the, flames trailing from her hands and feet. She was craving the room up, creating little walls of flame to make the battle more interesting. Incidentally, despite Sanaki's masterful skill, she knew she had weaknesses, and, if she was observed properly, these weaknesses would be obvious. This was part of the reason she remained on the move for most of the fight—at first anyways.

She stopped in place to rest, and also to focus some lightning-based attacks, which she was very skilled at linking together into chain lightning blasts that would paralyze people if used properly. However, during this time, several of her enemies noticed who exactly the little red blur with the huge mass of black hair was. Once they saw that it was just a tiny little teenaged girl, they laughed, as they assumed that she had gotten tired [and were partially correct].

Her weaknesses soon became obvious. She had amazing breathing techniques [which was one of the main contributing factors to why she was so skilled at firebending at her age], but she lacked stamina and strength. If she took a couple of powerful enough hits, she would definitely drop. Her lack of stamina was showing when she stopped, for despite her hands and feet still being in motion, her breathing seemed very careful, as if she was putting a lot of energy to make sure it remained normal and undisrupted.

Her other weakness was one that Alzar would also be able to understand, and soon the waterbenders among The Order's ranks caught on. Low temperatures, and/or damage to her hands and feet, would limit her 'heat-sense', and, if extreme enough, could render the young girl truly blind. She did not wear shoes or cover her hands though because those also dulled her senses.

As a result of this knowledge, they began coming towards her, aiming attacks at her hands and feet, but Sanaki's agility was her saving grace, and what made her such an effective fighter. She might have been able to only take one or two decent hits before she'd drop, but she was so difficult to hit that this was almost not enough of a weakness.

The Zuroc Sensei of Division 79, once they had seen that Sanaki was on their side, simply treated her like they did their comrades; let her fend for herself unless she got in a bind. Luckily, this never happened, and so Sanaki's dazzling firebending displays proved to be very effective against the Zuroc Sensei. Sanaki did not wish to use any killing moves on her enemies, but rather, she would incapacitate them, and leave their fates in the hands of the Zuroc Sensei.

When all was said and done, the Order's Warriors retreated downward, past Zakura's Elite and everyone else. Little Sanaki was exhausted by this point, and she fell to her knees, breathing heavily.

Nonetheless, the remainder of Division 79 was hailing her as a hero.

"You need to let her become one of us," the leader of what was left of the division remarked; "she is amazing, and holds nearly every attribute that we as Zuroc Sensei cherish."

"That is up to her, and up to her family," Azula replied, knowing the best ways to communicate with Zuroc Sensei, being one herself.

"Understandable," the man replied, "nonetheless, as you all might know, there are only but a few supporters of The Order past this point. However, they are the most elite ones out there."

"Aye," Zakura replied, "we have been informed. We also thank you for your services. What do you plan to do from here?"

"We plan to rest here until we can regroup and recover a little bit," he replied, "that was a bloody battle, and our group almost all was killed. It was a good thing that Lynn's group snuck out and came to our rescue, and thanks to that little girl. Tell me, which of you is the avatar?"

Zakura grinned widely.

"Speaking," she said, laughing; "and despite the fact that aye, I am awesome, the real heroes here are Ryuka Satoru and Sanaki Foxx."

"Ah," said the man again, "Ryuka was always the strange one. He would always tell me 'Shai, the day you learn everything about me will be after you're long since dead.' I never figured him out."

"None of us did, Shai," Zakura replied, using the man's [newly revealed] name; "but either way, we honor him, and his death was not in vain."

"Aye," Shai replied, and then turned to Sanaki, who was still breathing heavily, and was massaging her feet;

"Sanaki Foxx is it?" he exclaimed, looking at her, though she did not 'look' back at him [it wouldn't have made a difference anyways];

"Aye," Sanaki replied wearily, "that's me."

"I've heard of you," he chuckled, "you're Faruko and Karitsu's youngest of 7—and their only daughter. You are also now a hero among the Zuroc Sensei, kid. Here, take this."

Shai reached into his tunic and pulled out an emblem, which bore the crest of Avatar Zuroc on it.

"You're a hero, Sanaki Foxx," he said, "and so I recommend you stick with the avatar and help her group through the rest of this. These folks need you, kid. Good luck and farewell."

Zakura's Elite all bade Shai and the remainder of Division 79 a fond farewell, and hoped that they would be alive upon their return. They continued up the tower, the talk of the moment being Sanaki's stunts.

"Even the smallest person can have a powerful influence," Royota remarked, and I am pretty sure that after that dazzling display that most of us saw back there, that everyone here agrees."

Everyone else nodded. They had not doubted the little girl in the first place, but now they all had a certain unique respect for her, now that they had all just witnessed The Feats of Sanaki Foxx.


	90. Chapter 90: Fukuda and Michiko

Chapter 90: Fukuda and Michiko

True to Reyson and Mulan's words, the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th floors of the tower were all completely deserted. The 17th floor, also true to Mulan and Reyson's word, was where Michiko and Fukuda were waiting. Both of them were side by side, their arms crossed, watching as Zakura's Elite poured in.

"Surely you do not plan to use all of your forces for this battle," Fukuda remarked, "for that is a folly that would cost you the lives of many of your dear friends, Avatar Zakura."

"You think correctly," Zakura replied, "I see the Lyautey couple's tactics clearly from here. They figured we'd be wounded enough to only want to send in one or two people pre duel instead of just going all out with all of our forces, despite how weak they are, and just kill you both."

"Zhin is a smart woman," Michiko replied sweetly, "and Tu-Sung is a smart man. So, what is your plan, Avatar Zakura? Do you plan to risk the s of your comrades just to see the Water Chief and me, his wife, dead? Or perhaps are you scheming up another objective as we speak?"

"Neither," Zakura replied, "I already know what I intend to do.

"Well, let's hear it," said Fukuda bluntly, "let us see if the logic of Katara Altina II has rubbed off a little on you."

"I'll let that girl's mother deal with you two," Zakura replied, "and also the woman who held your position before it was usurped from her."

Katara and Tenoko stepped forward. Katara looked agitated, but otherwise she too had recovered rather nicely in the time between the 4th and 17th floors. The two of them stepped forward.

"As for me," Zakura replied, "I'm reserving my forces for my parents."

Fukuda smirked. "Very clever," he remarked, "you really do think things through much better than you used to, young avatar."

"Perhaps it is because I took the time to make some friends," Zakura replied, "instead of make the avatar my enemy."

Michiko and Fukuda did not respond to this, but rather, turned to Tenoko and Katara [Katara I, since Katara II's location is currently unknown] and bowed in a Water Tribe fashion.

"Are there any remarks you two wish to make before we commence?" Fukuda remarked, glancing from one of them to the other. The rest of Zakura's Elite were on the walls, watching. Sokka of course, was watching his mother, and the Dragmire twins were watching Tenoko.

"Aye," Katara replied, "I want my daughter back."

"We did not take her," Michiko replied, "She is a very smart and very mature young lady. She knows how to handle situations like that, and we knew how to handle her. The last time we saw her proper was when she left our fortress in the Northern Water Tribe."

"Either way," said Tenoko, stepping in, "may the best benders win. If I am indeed defeated, that simply means that you two were fit to run the Water Tribes than I was. Do you plan to kill me upon my defeat?"

"Not at all," Fukuda replied, "you are an honorable woman, Tenoko Dragmire; as are you, Katara Altina I."

Katara smiled. "It looks like my daughter rubbed off on you," she replied, her tone having changed completely; "honor was something that she always held in very high regard. In the brief moments that we met before coming here, she told me that she had developed her own code of laws that she followed. Does this sound familiar?"

"Aye," Fukuda replied, "it does. Your daughter really is a very strong young lady; very well-behaved as well."

"Alas though," said Michiko, "such a thing should not be expected from a girl of only 15 years. The poor thing should have had a proper childhood where she could have grown up and made some friends. Regardless of my stance in this war, I do believe that she had had a very difficult life. No one should be forced to grow up that quickly."

"What side are you on," Tenoko exclaimed, "here we are about to fight each other to the point of incapacitation, and yet you sympathize with Katara here because of her daughter?"

"Aye," Michiko replied, "surely you remember the prophecy that The Warrior of the Black Hand made on that battlefield the last time we met, am I correct?"

Tenoko thought back about how Katara said that the side that was not fighting for a good cause would eventually wind up with nothing, and therefore, she nodded."

"Then it is settled," she remarked, "let us duel and decide our fates."

The fight actually began rather suddenly, but Katara and Tenoko, though they had never actually stopped too long to talk to each other, were already working off of each other's techniques. Michiko and Fukuda were doing the same thing, but they had already planned their attacks and strategies out beforehand, and so all in all, an incredible waterbending performance was taking place.

Huge walls of ice were being thrown at each other, and then getting melted into water, which got thrown back, but was immediately repelled and swung back as shards and spears of ice. These shattered into tiny fragments of ice and water that were shot back as bullets, and they were deflected and gathered up as a wall of water, and this cycle continued again and again, with slight variations.

Katara was much like her son Sokka in this regard, using a lot of power and endurance, which complemented Tenoko's defense and speed. Despite their ages, Tenoko, Katara, Fukuda, and Michiko were all very fast, especially considering that they had iced the floor in their little central "arena" where the duel was taking place.

Huge spikes of ice were flying towards the waterbenders on both sides, and some were intercepted and sent back as huge water projectiles. All four of these waterbenders were using martial arts techniques from each nation, for in this day and age, most skilled benders had to know at least one other "foreign" martial art in order to have bending skill that was any good. This was the logic behind the training that The Four Benders gave during their training of Avatar Zakura.

Michiko and Fukuda continued to work off of each other in the complementing style, but eventually, as a stalemate set in, with neither side able to land a hit on the other side as of yet, Katara and Tenoko decided on a different tactic, and they did not need any actual communication other than a glance before they realized that this was what they had to do.

Katara's tactics suddenly "reversed their polarity", going from offense and endurance to defense and speed. She was matching Tenoko's skill, a lot of which was countering her opponent's moves. Michiko caught onto this first, and decided to change her tactic, assuming Fukuda would catch on, without even a glance.

Unfortunately for them, this was their fatal mistake, as he did not catch on soon enough, and her offensive moves were immediately exploited with counter moves from Tenoko and Katara, who ended up blasting her against the wall, freezing her there and disabling any movement. While Tenoko did the finishing touches, they both switched their focus to Fukuda, who they knew would try and unfreeze his wife if he ever got the opportunity. In fact, this eventually led to his downfall.

He loved Michiko enough that he consistently was trying to free her and ward Tenoko and Katara off, despite the possibility of a loss as a result, which he started to see coming. In fact, his opponents both had switched their tactics again from Tenoko's 'defense and speed' style to Katara's 'offense and endurance' style, which eventually overwhelmed Fukuda, who soon surrendered.

"Alas," he remarked, now on his knees with his hands in the air, "we have been bested. Congratulations, Katara Altina; Tenoko Dragmire—you have defeated us. I just have one more request before you two leave us here to die—please free my wife."

"We have no intention of killing you," Tenoko replied, "but rather, we will worry about what to do with you when the time comes."

Taki ended up blocking Fukuda's chi flow, and did the same to Michiko once Tenoko and Katara unfroze her from the wall. They did not look upset at all, and they accepted their defeat with grace.

"You claimed once to me," said Zakura, as Michiko and Fukuda's hands were bound behind their backs, "that you both just 'went along for the ride'. Why was that?"

"our reasons are our own," Michiko replied, "but by the time we realized where we went wrong, we knew that we would receive this fate either way; for our deeds are going to be hard to repay. We knew we would be imprisoned even if we did switch sides, and betraying Xin Shing would just mean that we would be put to death."

"Perhaps then," said Zakura, "when this war is over, I'll try and sort things out. I don't want my enemies dead if they don't have to be. I would much rather see them repent and become normal people like the rest of us. I don't want to do any harm to the world either."

"We realized that you were a good person long ago," Fukuda replied, "and Michiko stated our reasoning for why we did or didn't do what has or has not happened. We accept our fate."

"And that is why I intend to be merciful to you two," Zakura replied, as they began moving onward, "so don't worry—you'll come out of this alive. Until then, you are simply prisoners."

They smiled back at Zakura. They really did take their defeat very well, and this was the reason why Zakura, come the right time, was planning to be lenient towards Fukuda and Michiko.


	91. Chapter 91: Zhang and Zao Lin

Chapter 91: Zhang and Zao Lin

The Zuroc Sensei that Mulan and Reyson had run into had somehow sidestepped Michiko and Fukuda, and had been able to join the forces of the 79th Division a few floors down. Their fates were uncertain, but that was not the important thought on the mind of Zakura's Elite at the moment. Right now, they were facing two green-clad figures.

"Zakura," said Zao Lin seductively, "I'm surprised your group has gotten this far. Surely it took nearly all of your power and influence to drag these poor souls this far only to have them die here."

Zakura stamped her foot with enough force to knock Zao Lin over.

"you will not lay a finger on them," Zakura remarked, you may do with me what you please, but you are not going to destroy the lives of my friends, just because you were able to destroy my life when I was younger. You have no more influence than I do."

Zhang chuckled this time.

"Ah ha," he remarked, as Zao Lin stood up again; "but that would mean we have vast amounts of influence, if you've convinced all of them that you are actually their friend. We know your deep ambition, Zakura—you lust after the same power that Avatar Fa Su had lusted for, and that Avatar Zuroc after him had lusted for, and had almost achieved."

This time though, it was her friends that spoke up for her, namely, Royota and Iresu.

"Silence, man," said Royota firmly, "that is an insult not only to the avatar, but also an insult to everyone who stands in this room. WE did not come all this way because of bribery, extortion, or fear. We came all this way because we want to defend the world that we love, and even more so, it's protector."

"Precisely," Zakura replied, "mother, father, you say I am your greatest enemy... and yet I am nothing without your hatred for me. You are correct about my lust for power though."

This caused everyone in the room to gasp, and Zakura suddenly felt that this was the wrong thing to say, as she was now receiving nasty glares from her own comrades, who had so willingly followed her all the way this far and had risked their lives to keep her alive and the avatar cycle continuing. To hear that this hero had the same lust for power that Avatar Zuroc did was almost like a destructive attack on their souls.

"HOWEVER," she said loudly, knowing that everyone was on edge, "the thing that differentiates me from Avatar Zuroc is that I learned to resist that temptation. Aye, the thought of being able to use my powers to extort fear into the heart of the world and then dominate it as my own does sound like an enticing path; however, it is not the one I chose, and that is not about to change any time soon."

"Oh," said a pair of leering voices, which turned out to belong to Kyomi and Kaoru, Zakura's younger sisters; "then what is, princess?"

They addressed her that way only because they knew she was not fond of being called 'princess', because of the memories the title brought up,

"The path I chose," said Zakura firmly, "was the one of friendship. I did not wish to have the entire world claim to be my friend in front of me, and then talk bad about me behind my back and/or live in fear of me for my entire life. No, I wanted people who actually cared about me. That was why I opened up, unlike Avatar Zuroc."

She turned around and smiled at all of her comrades, many of which were still exhausted from the skirmishes.

"And that was what I received," she said, proudly continuing, "I received a bunch of otherwise normal people who I was able to call my friends. There was nothing special about them; there was nothing that made them "stand out" in society, just like there was nothing that made me stand out. The Avatar is just another bender. These folks behind me are just talented benders who want the world back to normal, with a righteous guardian at its head. I probably still have some work to do, but that is the goal which I am striving for."

She paused, and smiled back at her friends, a single pair of tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.

"And without them," she said, "I would not have been anything."

She paused again, mainly to collect herself, as she, Zakura; the arrogant, tough, and powerful avatar was getting emotional, just like any other normal person. After all, when it all boiled down, even the avatar is only human.

"A certain 15-year-old girl clad in black armor once told me," she said, continuing, "that this war was pointless. She is entirely right. The Avatar is no longer trying to take over the world, and yet we fight as if I still am. No, I am over that. Mother; Father; Kyomi; Kaoru: the five of us are going to duel."

Royota and Iresu though, wanted in on the fight as well.

"Usurping the throne usually does not wind up making you a good ruler," Iresu replied, "of course, with Orzon and Ayumi's repentance that could easily be changed."

Zhang and Zao Lin both looked at Iresu with skeptical and horrified expressions on their faces. Clearly, whatever they had done, Orzon and Ayumi's betrayal of The Order was not yet known.

"Your list of allies grows thin," said Royota, "surely you four should reconsider this fight. After all, I don't think you will accept defeat quite as gracefully as your waterbender friends here. Your allies are down to the Lyautey family and Xin Shing and Yang themselves. Seriously consider the situation you are going into."

Michiko and Fukuda's mouths were bound so they were biting on the ropes, but they were not attempting to speak. Ti had only initially been done as a precaution so that they could not start a conversation with their former allies, but it did not look like they intended to do that.

"You have your loyalties," Zao Lin remarked, "as we have ours. We fight now and end this so-called madness."

"At your ready," Said Zakura, taking a stance between Royota and Iresu; this was going to be an earthbending battle to remember.

Royota and Iresu worked as an amazing team, and therefore no one questioned why Royota had been such a high-ranking Earth Kingdom General, or why Iresu had been crowned as Queen of the Earth Kingdom before The Order's usurpation. Royota was very powerful, and Iresu was agile, even for her age. Zhang and Zao Lin though, were also very skilled, and the fancy blade work of Kyomi and Kaoru became annoying rather quickly. Luckily Zakura's shots at them were keeping them at bay, while the Fenyk siblings fought off the Ishiko family.

Zakura was facing off against two non-benders, and, ironically, these two provide much harder than would be expected, especially for a full realized Avatar. It may have also been that Zakura did not want any of them dead, but rather, wished to give them a second chance sooner or later. They were the type who taunted and leered at Zakura, hoping to annoy her. Unfortunately for them, Zakura was also the master of taunts and being annoying, so she was unaffected.

"You know what," she remarked, "I think I need to shut you two up and go incapacitate mom and dad once I'm done."

"Really now," they leered, and how do you plan to do that?"

"Like this," Zakura replied, lifting her hat and opening her eyes. They and the tattoo on her stomach were glowing.

"Game time," she laughed, and with a powerful, and very forceful blast, Kyomi and Kaoru next found themselves in a crumpled heap against the opposite wall, as Zakura's brief Avatar State moment subsided. They both were unable to move, and they both groaned in pain before falling unconscious. Zakura decided that since Royota and Iresu were doing well enough alone, to let that fight remain 2-on-2. She would help them if they started getting hurt.

Huge walls of earth, shards of rock, blasts of sand, bolts of stone, and other earthbending elements were still flying everywhere. However, unlike in the battle with Tenoko and Katara against Michiko and Fukuda, the sheer power of Iresu and Royota's techniques was overpowering the intricacy of Zhang and Zao Lin's moves. The Fenyk siblings began pressing in for an offensive maneuver, and eventually they cornered Zakura's parents.

"By all means," said Zakura, "you two should be killed right now. However, I, unlike you, am stepping up to be the better person, and rather, you will simply be imprisoned. Use your judgment on that."

Taki disabled the both of them, and Zakura bound them. They did the same with Kyomi and Kaoru, though they were unconscious.

"There's my 'finishing blow'," Zakura replied, "Like I said, I am nothing without your hatred for me. I am only your enemy because of that hatred. Regardless, you are my family, and I will always love you in a certain way, regardless of how you treat me. For now though, you get to watch as the very organization that you supported that was against me crumbles. Maybe then you will see the logic in what I am doing, and in my attempt to get the world back into proper balance."

Zhang and Zao Lin simply growled, but they had no choice but to be led up the tower as prisoners. Zakura was right about The Order crumbling now, but they would never admit it, and moreover, Zakura did not suspect that quite yet. For all she knew, this was simply the glorious defeat of Zhang and Zao Lin.


	92. Chapter 92: Father and Daughter

Chapter 92: Father and Daughter

Kai and Zuko had taken the shortcuts through the walls to reach the 19th floor before Zakura's Elite were able to. It was here that the two of them, still cloaked, laid their eyes upon the Warrior of the Black Hand, idly sitting on her throne.

"I suppose you are here to challenge me," she remarked, her voice showing no emotion,"

"If that is what must be done for me to see your face," Zuko replied, "for I believe that I already know your identity, girl; Do you know mine?"

"Your voice," she muttered, "it has a familiar ring to it—like I've heard it before; long, long ago."

Technically, this was father and daughter meeting. However, Zuko wanted her to prove that she was in fact Katara, instead of having to prove it himself. He wanted her to overcome that streak of pride.

"Perhaps you have," Zuko replied, "do I sound like someone you know?"

"That is none of your business," Katara replied from underneath her helmet, "my life does not need to be torn down any further than it already has been. Are you here to challenge me or not?"

"Is that the only thing you care about," her father exclaimed, "for shame... your father would be so upset."

Behind the cover that Katara's helmet provided, her eyes were watering. Nevertheless, she kept her cool and made no indication that a teenage girl's emotions were starting to creep in.

"What do you know of my father," she snapped, "who do you think you are; show yourself!"

"Alas," Zuko replied calmly, "but that would be hypocritical, would it not? Show me your face, Katara Altina II, and I shall show you mine."

Katara paused. "How did you know my name," she exclaimed, "who are you? WHO ARE YOU!?!"

Zuko chuckled. "You would never believe me if I told you," he said, laughing, "and so I suppose the only way for you to find out is to defeat me in your style of a fight, just like you've been asking. That would be what your father would do."

"DON'T," Katara snapped forcefully, though she hadn't 'lost it' yet, "talk to me about my father!"

Zuko laughed, as memories of him and his little girl returned to him. He smiled underneath his hood, but was not about to give in to the demands of her daughter, and therefore refused to show his face until she showed him hers.

"Then let us fight," Zuko replied, "and perhaps avenge your dead father in such a fight. After all, as I once said to a daughter of mine—"there is no losing. Defeat only means that you were bested by someone of greater skill than you."

He was determined to make her crack. However, Katara Altina II was just as stubborn as her father.

"So I suppose that you are coming here to avenge the death of this daughter, perhaps?" she asked; she had no idea that this was her father, for she had always assumed that he was dead. Sokka and Katara I were the same way, so Katara II's thoughts were not unique.

"Not at all," Zuko replied calmly, "I just want to see how well my daughter has learned to control her abilities; the same abilities that he never should have had to bear."

If Katara had thought at all that her father was still alive, this would have done it. However, Zuko was taking advantage of the fact that she did not, and was trying to provoke her into fighting him. Even after nearly 11 years of being apart, he still could logically guess many of Katara's fighting styles, since their roots were in the ones he had created. Of course, Zuko's statement had done it.

"How dare you impersonate him," Katara yelled angrily, "you are just another advocate of the war. Say goodbye to your friend, for you may never see her again."

"So be it," Zuko chuckled, taking a stance identical to Katara's—or rather, Katara took a stance identical to her father's, or it had been him that had taught her the basics. It had to be done at that young of an age, because by the age of 2, Katara could already unleash large amounts of firebending energy. It was Zuko's persistence and determination not to let it kill his daughter that kept little Katara alive.

It was perhaps the most 'energetic' firebending duel of all time. Zuko may not have been as powerful as Katara with raw energy, but he still had a considerable amount himself, and unlike his daughter, he had perfect control—this had been why he was an excellent teacher for her.

Katara was fiercely blasting huge wave of fire at her opponent [Kai had long since moved out of the way], but Zuko was able to block, avoid or deflect every single move.

"There is still plenty for you to learn, Katara," he said, bombarding her with several small, rapid fireballs in succession, "a 4-year-old could not possibly learn them all in that short of a time."

"YOU ARE NOT MY FATHER," Katara roared fiercely, and the more Zuko provoked her, the less control she had over her powers because of the energy she was focusing into her emotions. This was his intent. He did not want to kill her, but he did want to nearly incapacitate her to prove his point. Katara always fought with honor and accepted defeat with grace, just like Zuko had taught her to.

Walls of flame and bolts of lightning exchanged places, but Katara was still the only one taking hits. Zuko linked many of his powerful moves into each other, slowly blasting Katara around. Her armor was becoming more and more battered, and Zuko's intent was to keep her 'helpless' until he was able to knock it off.

It was when Katara launched 3 faulty attacks that backfired on her that Zuko was able to come in and keep her cornered. He linked his moves together quickly enough that Katara was not able to escape the blaze of Zuko's powerful attacks, and her armor was not immune either.

Eventually, pieces of it began falling off, but Katara was still unable to fight back, for she was trapped in Zuko's combination of elaborate and powerful moves. Once it was all off of her, the body of the Warrior of the Black Hand landed facedown and motionless on the ground, in the form of a 15-year-old girl, still in the same dress that she had worn when she was part of Tenoko's crew. She was barely conscious.

Zuko stepped up to her and kneeled down, still not removing his hood.

"You fought honorably," he said, running his fingers through her hair, "but you still have much to learn in the ways of perfect control."

"Alas," Katara remarked weakly, "you are a fighter of greater skill than I am. I was seeking my greatest opponent here so I could know that my last battle was the one of my life. I will die in peace now."

"No," Zuko replied, lifting Katara's limp form into a sitting position, and turned her head so she could see into his eyes. He removed his hood and looked back into her weak eyes—Katara was barely conscious.

"Now do you see who I am," he asked, and Katara smiled weakly.

"That's impossible," she exclaimed, "You... you were dead."

"No," Zuko replied, "but I was ripped from you, just like we both said. I was imprisoned for nearly 11 years."

"Why didn't you break out," Katara asked, still breathing heavily, "Do you know what I've been through in your absence?"

"No," Zuko replied, "no I do not. There is a good chance too that whatever has happened will make me angry, and I don't want that right now. I want you to talk to me."

Katara's eyes were watering. "Where have you been?" she asked again,

"I did whatever it took to make sure that they did not kill me," Zuko replied, "because I was determined to make sure I saw you one last time before you died—or even better, to make sure you didn't die."

"I'm sorry daddy," Katara replied weakly, "it was why I faltered so much in the duel—I am not strong enough to overcome this power. My body is going to be consumed in the blaze."

"No," Zuko replied, "no it isn't. I did not spend 11 years of my life away from you just to lose you the moment we reunite. Hang in there, Katara. Channel your energy; clear your mind—relax. You're not going to die."

"What is today," Katara asked, and Zuko gave her the date.

"You know it just as well as I do," he replied, "this is the day 16 years ago when my little baby was born. She's not dying this early in her life."

"Then what am I supposed to do," Katara asked, "that comet's powers are already working on me; I've been feeling them for the last few days, and it's really bad. It hurts, daddy; my whole body hurts."

"Katara," he said, "you just got finished being blasted around by powerful attacks. You're going to get hurt a little. I don't care what you say though—you are NOT going to die."

"I'm... sorry... daddy..." Katara said slowly, and her eyes closed, and her head went limp. Even Zuko could feel energy surging through his body.

This was enough to make a grown man like Zuko break down sobbing, still clutching Katara's limp form. It tore him apart to see his baby girl like this, and even their short reunion was not enough to stop his anguish. This was possible only because of the impossibly strong bond between Father and Daughter.


	93. Chapter 93: The Altina Family

Chapter 93: The Altina Family

Zakura's group eventually came in to find the scene the way it was. Kai was standing a few feet away, her arms folded, and her face somber.

Sokka and Katara I were the first ones to come in, as they had wanted to see Katara II more than any of the rest of them.

Their surprise was of course, seeing a man sobbing over Katara's limp form. This puzzled them, as they wondered who would be sobbing that hard over Katara of all people. She had never had any proper friends save certain members of Zakura's Elite, and this man did not look familiar from behind.

It was Sokka who eventually figured it out. No one wanted to approach these two, as they did not know if they were friends or enemies, or what had even happened.

"That's Zuko," he whispered to his mother, who was just as shocked as he was, "Katara must have died in his arms."

There was a split-second where nothing happened, and suddenly the two waterbenders bolted forward to see just what had gone on. Underneath the armor, Katara's limp form did not look very battered. She had a few scratches on her face, with the flowing, dark red dress that she was clad in did not even show any signs of damage, meaning that most of Zuko's damage had in fact been done to the armor.

This 'death' must have been the effect from the comet, as all firebenders in the room: Alzar, Zeruda, Reyson, Sanaki, Azula, Cheng and Kimiko, were all feeling the same way. Everyone but the Altina Family though, remained silent, mainly in respect for Katara.

Just when we thought we had her back," Zuko remarked, "she gets taken again, never to return."

"Such power," Katara I remarked, "such determination—my poor baby tried so hard, I could see it in her every action for the short time we were reunited. She really wanted to make you proud, Zuko."

"She did more than that," Zuko replied, "she left a name for herself. Surely someone of this type of power is bound to be remembered."

"Katara Altina II did many great things," Azula remarked, stepping forward, "she was a tough young woman. She has incredible skill. I regret to say that I was involved in manipulating her because of it. And yet, after I realized what I had done—more regret filled my soul than anything else I had ever experienced. It was raw anguish and agony to know what I had done, what that poor girl had gone through; what she was going through up until this point. I am deeply sorry for your loss."

"she's been saying that this would be the day she died for several years now," said Sokka, who, like his parents, had tears running down his face, "she was ready for it. She had anticipated the day of her death for a long time now."

"But do you think she would have," Azula remarked, "had she known earlier in her life that her father was alive? No, no she would not. If she had even the slightest shred of hope that you, Zuko Altina, were alive, she would have done everything in her power to live, regardless of how close to death she was."

"How do you know this" Katara I asked, "What did you do with my baby?"

"That is unimportant at the moment," Azula replied, "but I know this because she and I had a very pleasant discussion once about firebending and other topics of interest. We got into talking about families. My back story isn't the loveliest one out there either, but this is not my sob story. She told me personally that if she had any shred of evidence that her father was alive, that she would train for weeks on end without eating or sleeping just to ensure that she survived. It was then that I revealed to her my secret."

"And what was this secret," Sokka asked her,

"The secret to channeling energy," Azula replied, "is to clear her mind. I learned that Katara, because of her energy, can channel it into different parts of her body, and can just about make her self go unconscious. She did that a lot, or usually slept. Spirits, if I ever find a girl that can sleep longer and harder than Katara could, mark my words, I will never bend again."

"So what are you implying," Zuko asked her again,

"I am implying," Azula replied, "that she is not dead. She is clearing her mind while her energy peaks. In a few minutes it will begin to reduce more towards her normalcy again, and she will regain consciousness. She is simply resting and letting her energy clear itself out. She's a really smart girl, mark my words."

"She's a hero," Tenoko replied, "She's saved my ungrateful rear end a good number of times before. She's always full of surprises."

"Indeed she is," said a voice from the next room. In the doorway were Orzon and Ayumi.

"Who are you two," Zuko exclaimed. He had luckily not heard of the things they had done to Katara II, and both Sokka and Katara I both figured he shouldn't learn just yet.

"We are friends of Katara's," Orzon replied, "and let it be known—she is not dead. She's smart enough to outwit Ayumi even."

"It's true," Ayumi replied, "but again, this is not just "let's praise Katara" time; this needs to be investigated."

Ayumi stepped forward and gently took Katara's limp body from Zuko's arms, and naturally, Zuko was slightly hesitant to let her go, as even when she was limp, Zuko still had his bond with her.

She looked Katara over, feeling her pressure points and locating where her subconscious mind was channeling her energy.

"If you recall," Ayumi remarked, "A Chi-Dominant bender always dies in an unusual and usually bizarre manner. In the case of a Chi-Dominant firebender, she would have been consumed by searing flames. I'm looking at her, but I'm not seeing any searing flames consuming her body."

Tenoko stepped forward, and hit Ayumi's arm.

"Brilliant one," she remarked, "my old rival still never fails to amuse me, Ayumi. Still, I came forward to tell you that Kai Serenes needs her now. If she works her magic, she will be revitalized."

"Then you do it," Zuko exclaimed to Kai, "please—save my girl."

Kai smiled sweetly.

"I'm glad I can repay you, Zuko," she replied, happily, and laid Katara on the ground in a spread-eagled position, and began using waterbending to work her magic with her. Everyone in the room was watching her, but Kai was unfazed. She ran her hands around Katara's neck, as this seemed to be the central point from which Kai was working. A few minutes later, Katara stirred.

"Where am I?" she asked, her eyes looking around, as she seemed too weak to move her body, "was that all just a dream?"

"No," Zuko replied, lifting Katara's 16-year-old form into his arms and looking her straight in the eyes. Katara's father was the one person in the world who she could look at in the eyes for more than a second or two without turning away.

"I'm here for you, Katara," he continued, "Daddy's not going anywhere this time. You and I are going to learn to master your abilities once and for all, and you are going to live a happy life from here on out—I promise this to you; never forget that."

"That just leaves one thing," Katara remarked, "is Xin Shing gone yet?"

"Not yet," Zakura replied, stepping forward, "but that's what I'm here for. Your family has done enough. All of you have. This is a fight that I must conclude on my own."

"What about Yang?" Ayumi asked, "For she is on the floor above us, and Zhin and Tu-Sung are as well."

"What do we look like," Tenoko exclaimed, "passersby; no, we're the ones that are going to take them out."

The entire group all cheered at this, and it was decided.

"You fight your way through them until you reach the top, Zakura," said Orzon, "we will handle the others. Xin Shing declared you as his mortal enemy, and so you must defeat him or he will defeat you."

"I will do that," Zakura replied, "I just have one thing to ask of everyone in this room."

"And what is this request," Katara of all people asked, weakly glancing over at Zakura, smiling,

"Don't die," she said, smiling back at everyone, "please."

"You have our word," The Four Benders replied in behalf of the group, "we are going to get through this terror, and we are going to bring The Order down once and for all."

"What about Katara," Sokka asked, "she can't walk on her own yet,"

"That's what daddy's for," Zuko declared, "she's coming with me."

"and I am here to protect them both," said Kai, stepping forward, "this is truly going to be the battle that determines history. If any of us falter now, it will be the last mistake we ever make. This literally is going to be life and death. We are fighting the masterminds behind The Order of the Avatar Slayer here. Xin Shing is not the real enemy—it is Zhin and Tu-Sung. They are the ones Xin Shing goes to when he wants a strategy."

"then they're going to suffer," Zuko replied stiffly, "no one makes a war that all but destroys my daughter's life and gets away with it that easily. We are going in, and we are coming out victorious."

The group continued into the next room, and up towards the top floor, their spirits high because of the reunion of The Altina Family.


	94. Chapter 94: The War of the Masterminds

Chapter 94: the War of the Masterminds

The weary but anxious Avatar Guard, along with the newcomers to the group, namely Zuko Altina, Katara Altina II, Azula Caroso, Orzon Zhaoka, Ayumi Zhaoka, Kai Serenes XLIII, and the returning Tenoko Dragmire, all advanced cautiously to the next floor in case Zhin and Tu-Sung had planned anything. There were very few of Zakura's Elite's numbers that were in good fighting condition by this time.

Many of them, such as Sanaki, Alzar, Shinon, Azula, Katara II, Taki, Lehran, [Altina], Meili, Malak, Vigo, Michiko, and Tenoko, were badly injured, and were no longer in any condition to fight. The ones that were left in good fighting condition were Katara I, Sokka, Zuki, Zakura, Kai, Reyson, Mulan, Orzon, Ayumi, and Royota. Iresu, Zeruda, Maric, Koara, Kimiko, Zuko, Fukuda, Zinjamyn, and Aiku were all in alright condition, though too much more fighting on their part would do them in.

"How hard could they possibly be," Sokka asked, "there are only two of them. We have 10 among us that are in excellent fighting condition."

"And we have 13 who are dangerously low on stamina," Zakura replied, "they are in no condition to fight. Who knows about these two?"

"We do, of course," Fukuda replied, "and let me tell you right now. They are dangerous—very dangerous. They actually seem to be working for themselves as well, but they serve a higher cause. They wish to betray us all at the last moment for their own personal benefit. If Michiko and I hadn't been so aloof, Xin Shing would have believed our story."

"Zhin is funny," said a voice, and everyone spun around. It was Zuki who had spoken. No one was sure what to make of it.

"What does Zuki mean?" Tenoko asked, for she and Zuki had known each other for over 25 years, and so she knew how to talk with her by using terms that Zuki understood.

"Zuki knows Zhin," Zuki continued, smiling widely, "Zhin is funny."

"Aye," said Zakura, "we already established that,"

"Patience, Zakura," said Tenoko, "Zuki Meisha is a unique subject. You can get a lot out of her though if you know how to talk with her and all that jazz. You just wait and watch me handle this."

She turned again to Zuki, determined to decode what was in Zuki's mind.

"Zhin says lots of things," Zuki continued, "Tu-Sung says lots of things too. Zuki gets so, so, confused."

Zuki whimpered, clutched her head with her hands, and shook it as if she was answering negatively to a question;

"It means they're intricate," Tenoko remarked, "They use fancy and persuasive words. It seems logical. Carry on, Zuki."

"Zuki is scared of them," Zuki replied, shuddering, "Zhin and Tu-Sung are very fast. They use scary moves on Zuki and make Zuki get scared. Zuki doesn't like to get scared. Zuki hurts herself when Zuki gets scared."

"It'll be alright, Zuki," Tenoko replied, gently running her fingers over Zuki's left cheek, which, like much of that side of her face, was covered with that huge elaborate birthmark she had. "What does Zuki do when Zuki gets scared? Does Zuki remember that?"

"Zuki looks around," Zuki replied, incidentally, also looking around at the moment, "Zuki sometimes hurts Zuki's self with big rocks—really, really big rocks. Zuki uses lots of power—more power than Zuki can control. It makes Zuki very scared; more scared than Zhin."

"She's Chi-dominant," Sokka exclaimed, "those are the exact symptoms. I myself am one as well, though neither I nor Zuki are nearly as extreme as Katara. What I think Zuki is saying is that when she gets scared, she attacks out of fear."

"Well," said Alzar, who was one of Zakura's Elite that was heavily affected by Zuki's last accidental surprise attack, "we certainly don't want Zuki getting scared again. Aye, it may have proven useful against our enemies, but it wounded several of our own allies as well."

"Zhin and Tu-Sung do whatever it takes to win," Michiko warned, "they got me in a rather nasty bind several years ago. However, I know their weakness, but it is very difficult to exploit."

They all waited to hear it, even Zhang and Zao Lin, but they could do nothing to stop her, as the only skills they had intact at the moment were their motor skills and thought processes. They could not speak either at this point."

"They are mercilessly swift," Michiko continued, "I think that little blind firebender girl though could have given them a run for their money. Their weakness lies with their stamina—or rather, their lack of it. If they did not have their bending at their disposal, I'm pretty sure the avatar could knock them out with one strong enough hit."

"Or better yet," Zakura replied, smirking, "we could outwit them."

"Outwit Zhin and Tu-Sung Lyautey," Ayumi exclaimed, "that's not possible. Not even I am able to oust them."

"That is not entirely true;" Zakura replied again, "for your logic puzzled them when they took some of us to Lake Laogai back when your group had defeated us on the walls. I heard it come from their own mouths. I was there, Ayumi. You are the one for the job."

"I refuse to go alone," Ayumi replied,"

"then I'm the one you want," said Katara II, climbing out of her father's arms and standing shakily on her feet. Zuko clutched her shoulders to make sure she did not fall.

"Are you sure though," she said, "that you are up for the task, Katara? You can't even stand up by yourself again yet. I don't want you to die any more than your family does."

"Ayumi holds a point, Katara," said Orzon, stepping forward, "you are almost like a grandchild to us. We don't want you dead any less than your family does."

"I'll be fine," Katara replied confidently, "if I can survive this comet, I can survive anything. There is a good chance though, that if they do let us past, that they will turn on us on the way back, so keep that in mind. Oh, and Michiko, I have one other thing to ask you."

"Ask away," Michiko replied. Katara's logic was surprising, but the more the group thought of it, the more they realized that Katara simply had a lot of common sense with a little logic, which was how she solved her problems with such ease.

"when did Zhin and Tu-Sung get you in that bind," she asked, "surely if it was more than 15 years ago, they were young adults; but 15 years ago or so was when you two usurped the throne of the Water Tribes from Tenoko Dragmire. Too much longer before that, and they would have been little kids. Surely you were not done in by children like the Fire Nation was during that 100-year war."

"How did you know about that war," Orzon, Ayumi, and Zeruda all asked her, curious to know how a girl who could not read knew that aspect of history the way she did.

"I just asked one of the Fire Sages at the temple," Katara replied, "they would tell me everything I wanted to know. That's not the point though. I need for Michiko to answer me."

"It was 4 years into our reign actually," Michiko replied, "Zhin and Tu-Sung seem to serve no higher authority, and if they do, this person's identity is unknown. They seem independent."

"They likely went with the highest bidder," Azula remarked, "or something to that extent. That is what my group and I all did. Although if they are as rich as they are said to be, I would assume they had different reasoning than what I have just stated."

"Perhaps it is the side that they thought would win," Orzon remarked, "for I was the same way. I believe many of us who were part of The Order of the Avatar Slayer at one time or another thought this very same way at one point to say the least."

"Well they seem to be wrong now," Katara remarked, "if anyone recalls, out on the battlefield I said that the side that was not fighting for a good cause would eventually be reduced to a very small list of allies. With the wise dissention of Orzon and Ayumi, and the apologies of Fukuda and Michiko, added with Zhin and Tu-Sung's independence, and the downfall of Zhang and Zao Lin, it appears that Xin Shing's list of allies is growing very thin. Let us finish this, get Yang out of the way, and let Zakura and Xin Shing fight to the death."

"Aye," Zakura replied, "I for one am in for that idea."

"Then we are in for it," Zinjamyn replied, "for you, Avatar Zakura, are the cause which this group is fighting for."

"And I thank you all for it once again," Zakura replied, "and we have come this far together. We are so close to finally finishing this task. Let us end this war once and for all."

"So there are a few more wars to be fought," Katara remarked as her father hoisted her up and they all began advancing towards Zhin and Tu-Sung's chamber. They were all a bit anxious, but that was to be expected when pitted against an enemy whose tactics were almost impossible to predict;

"Aye," Orzon replied, walking next to her, "the war between Xin Shing the Warlord and Zakura the Avatar; the war between us and his wife, and the war between yourself and Fire Lady Ayumi pitted against the Lyautey couple, Zhin and Tu-Sung—that is The War of the Masterminds.


	95. Chapter 95: Avatar Zuroc Takeo

Chapter 95: Avatar Zuroc Takeo

Just as Zakura's Elite had predicted, Zhin and Tu-Sung were waiting for them. This was when Zuko put Katara down, and she limped forward, Ayumi at her side. Zhin and Tu-Sung both appeared to be very high-class people, Tu-Sung wearing vivid green robes fashioned Earth Kingdom Style, while Zhin wore a bright red dress with gold trimmings that was a Fire Nation model. Both of these looked very intricate, just like the words that came out of their owners' mouths.

"We will handle it from here," Ayumi whispered to the others, "our logic will work hand in hand. Come, Katara, let us finish this."

"So," said Tu-Sung, smirking, "young Katara Altina II appears, guarded by Ayumi Zhaoka. I take it you propose a duel of sorts?"

"What does it matter," Katara replied, "here we are, and we are going past you when all is said and done."

"When all of what is said and done," Zhin asked sweetly, "we have nothing to say, and nothing to do. What does it matter?"

"Again, what does it matter," Katara replied, "we are going through you. What say you to this?"

"Perhaps a fight to the death then," Zhin smirked, "or is death too strong of a word for a fearful heart such as yours, young girl?"

"a great woman, also a pirate captain, once told me that fear only rules those weak enough to accept it, Zhin Lyautey," Katara replied, "it is a shame really to know that you were just ousted by a 15-year-old girl—oh wait, 16. I almost forgot that today is my birthday—the same day that I was expected to die. Am I showing fear that I could still be killed?

Am I showing fear that I could be hearing the sizzling noise of my flesh burning as it falls off of my body when I die from my own flames consuming me? Tell me, Master and Lady Lyautey—what is this 'fear', that you speak of, and where do I find it?"

"Fear," said Tu-Sung, "is something that comes when an elaborately done scheme which, if done wrong would have serious terrible results, does not turn out the way you had hoped, and therefore the results tend to hurt. Fear is you knowing you can trust no one."

"Fear is something that should come when you give up everything, even your allies, because you know what is right, and the side you are fighting for is not that side, and so you turn completely around."

"So," said Zhin sweetly, "you are like my mother then. You turn against me and try to kill me as well?"

"Ah," said Katara, "a sob story of sorts. Please feel free to elaborate on the manner. This could be interesting."

"I still bear the scar from 21 years ago," Zhin replied, lifting up her shirt and exposing her midriff to the crowd. On her belly was a huge scar that looked almost like a dark red root system with a darker red center. The whole scar covered a total area of a little larger than the size of a fist, and the center alone was almost as large as an eye, and this center was located about an inch or two above Zhin's belly button.

"I suppose if that is how you wish to word it," Ayumi remarked as Zhin pulled her shirt back down and straightened it up so that it was again aligned with her dress, "but we have no intent of killing you until either or both of you two attacks. Even then, the decision would ultimately be up to Avatar Zakura. She is the one who leads this operation, not me, and not Katara Altina II here."

"You say I am your greatest enemy," Zakura called, "and yet I am nothing without your hatred for me."

"You; our greatest enemy," Tu-Sung exclaimed, "what gave you that idea"

"Surely she is simply using common sense," Ayumi replied, "for that is what the objective of The Order of the Avatar Slayer is; is it not?"

"Aye," Zhin replied, "but what is the purpose of this idle chit-chat; do you wish to fight us, or are you attempting to beat us at our own game?"

"That's my little secret," Ayumi replied, "For mark my words, we are not going to let the likes of you two stop us."

"So why, avatar," Zhin asked, "If you wanted two people against us, did you choose the 15-year-old girl out of all of your choices?"

"Because of your organization, actually," Zakura replied, "if it had not been for it, she would have led a normal life, and would not have been able to use her experience to her advantage."

"She's right," Katara chuckled, still leaning on Ayumi so that she would not fall over, "so all in all, I guess it's The Order of the Avatar Slayer to blame for my experience in my areas of expertise."

"You know," Tu-Sung remarked, "if you wanted to 'get past us', the door is just behind us. Why not simply walk around us, have the avatar snap us in two if we try to attack, and then move on? Surely this is only wasting your time, and while you do so, Xin Shing's influence spreads across the world. Wars have started in places you have not visited for a while, avatar Zakura. The chaos will spread until one side loses hope."

"And that is where Katara's prophecy comes in," Ayumi replied, "although it is merely an old proverb, it still holds true. The side that is not fighting for a good cause will end up with nothing. What is your cause; what do you wish to fight for?"

"The Order of the Avatar Slayer seeks to end the menace that is The Avatar, whose roots lie within the reign of Avatar Zuroc." Tu-Sung replied, "Surely you know of her story?"

"Aye," Ayumi remarked, "and various figured before that. Surely you of course also know that at one time it was The Order of the Avatar Slayer that was fighting for a good cause, while The Avatar Guard was the ones trying to overthrow it, am I correct?"

"Of course," Tu-Sung responded, "and it hasn't changed to this day. The Order of the Avatar Slayer still seeks to slay the Avatar, and The Avatar Guard is still their enemy."

"But their roles have reversed," Ayumi replied, "now it is The Order that is trying to overthrow the world, and it is The Avatar Guard trying to defend it. What say you to that?"

"Times change," Zhin said seductively, stepping in, but she was interrupted.

"Exactly," Katara replied, "The Order disbanded after Avatar Zuroc reversed her ways and made efforts to repair the damage she had caused. Zakura here is no Zuroc. She is not trying to overthrow the world; she wants the opposite. She hates power almost as much as I do."

"It is a different type of power though, Katara," Zakura commented, "my type of power is authority. I personally could care less about it."

"That's not the point," Katara replied, "my point is: is that The Order is now seeking after a malicious cause. Even The Order of Zuroc's time did not wish to end the Avatar Cycle completely."

"Killing a malicious Avatar is the answer to eliminating that problem," Ayumi added, "for the next avatar, though they are a reincarnation of the last avatar; is not the same person. He or she has a different personality than his or her predecessor. It has always been that way."

"Aye," Zhin replied, "but an avatar's past lives serve somewhat as mentors, do they not, Zakura?"

"Aye," Zakura replied hesitantly, "they do. But that is all they can do—they are spirits. All in all, they are not bound by any physical force to listen to the will of their previous incarnations. Avatar Zuroc unfortunately, was an ambitious woman who lusted after power, and her predecessor was the same way. Unfortunately, the two of them clicked, and Zuroc's ambition actually exceeded that of Fa Su, her predecessor.

Zuroc was a very influential woman, and, like you, Zhin Lyautey, she has a mysterious demeanor about her. Zuroc's ambition though, grew even to a point where Fa Su advised her to cease her actions during a visit to the spirit world. I would know, Zhin Lyautey; Tu-Sung Lyautey; I WAS Avatar Zuroc at one point in my ageless history."

Zakura paused and stepped forward. Ayumi and Katara had performed their duties—she could see a slight insecurity in their faces. Her hat was tilted down so her eyes were covered, but if a person looked close enough, they could tell that Zakura was grinning.

"Besides," she added, stepping closer to the Lyautey couple, "there is nothing you can do to stop the avatar."

Zakura removed her hat and smirked. Her eyes were glowing, but she had a different idea than an attack. Blue clouds swirled about her, and suddenly Zakura was gone. In her place was a Fire Nation woman who actually bore a strong resemblance to Azula Caroso.

"I am Avatar Zuroc Takeo," the woman replied. It was a spiritual incarnation of the avatar, something the avatar was known for.

"The Order of the Avatar Slayer was formed to prevent my exploits from eclipsing the world. Ultimately, a woman named Kai Serenes XXI was the one who brought about my downfall, and once I had succumbed to repentance, The Order disbanded. It was, and is, no longer necessary.

Never would I have predicted the size of this war—the sheer amount of devastation that I have caused, even over 700 years later. The Order of the Avatar Slayer today is nothing but extremists whose pawns follow them either in fear or as extremists who don't even know who the Avatar is. Zakura Ishiko is not your enemy."

And as suddenly as it had begun, it ended, and Zakura was on her knees, looking slightly dazed, but unhurt.

"Go now," Zhin remarked, "that was enough."

And so they did, though they wondered about Avatar Zuroc Takeo.


	96. Chapter 96: Lady Yang Shigeru

Chapter 96: Lady Yang Shigeru

Right as they were about to leave the room though, Zhin turned and called out to them, and so they stopped. She approached Zakura, with Tu-Sung right behind her.

"When you took the form of Avatar Zuroc," she remarked, "you said that her last name was Takeo."

"I did that," Zakura exclaimed, for, like in most cases, the avatar his or herself was usually not entirely aware of these spiritual incarnation changes; "I'll take your word for it, for aye, Zuroc's family name was Takeo. Why do you ask?"

"I am a descendant of Zuroc Takeo," Zhin replied, "it was my last name before I married Tu-Sung,"

"Really now," Zakura exclaimed, "that family had a terrible reputation if I recall correctly. Of course, I'm not a history expert here unless the person in question was an avatar at one point."

"No," Zhin replied, "you are right."

"So why did Zuroc make you two surrender that quickly," Zakura asked,

"Because we never knew," Tu-Sung replied, "we had always been taught that Avatar Zuroc's malice was the cause of all of this. We never knew that she tried to repair the damage she had done."

"She tried desperately hard," Zakura replied, "the later years of Zuroc's life were not happy ones, as the stress nearly killed her. It was a tragic tale to be honest, because she knew there were certain things that she could not repair no matter how hard she tried."

"They're still out to kill me," Zuroc sighed, "it's been 3 years since the war ended and I was defeated. Nothing I try seems to be able to make up for the havoc I caused. There is nothing left for me to do. What do they want from me?"

"You have caused nearly irreversible damage on the world," Fa Su replied, as Zuroc was visiting the spirit world at this point. Fa Su had been her mentor, and his ambition had only fueled her own.

"Don't remind me," she groaned, "I know what I did. You were the one who encouraged me. Don't think you're out of this free."

"I never thought you would get that close to actually succeeding," Fa Su replied, "I was always taught to pursue my ambitions."

"And so you tell me to, and I do." Zuroc snapped, "then what?"

"Zuroc," Fa Su snapped back, "you cannot blame me for your damage. I stopped advising you after a certain point, and if you recall correctly, I even warned you that maybe this was not such a good idea. I had not seen the effects of an international-scale war, and the more I saw, the less I wanted it to become reality."

"I know what I did was wrong," Zuroc yelled back, "I don't need to be reminded of it. I just want a way to make restitution. They want to kill me—everyone wants me dead. They want to see me suffer—they want to see me die screaming and begging for mercy. THE WORLD IS AGAINST ME—THE ENTIRE WORLD IS GOING TO KILL ME."

"Then why not end your own life," Fa Su replied, "the people still have faith in the avatar cycle."

"I can't do that," Zuroc replied, "because then the Air Nomad that took my place would be forced to clean up the damage that I have done."

"Zuroc," said Fa Su grimly, "the two of us have done great amounts of damage to the avatar cycle, and are among that group of avatars known for their treachery. Our names are dark; they have a similar reputation to the name Azula at this point."

"Please," Zuroc begged, "you were a master at getting what you wanted. Surely you know a way I can compensate the world."

Fa Su sighed. "You are not going to like this," he warned, "but if that is what you want, I can attempt to enlighten you."

"I'll do anything," Zuroc replied, "I don't want them killing me. They don't seem to realize that the repairs will just be passed onto my next incarnation. That airbender does not deserve to have to go through that. Fa Su, you and I have a lot of explaining to do."

"I did my explaining during my lifetime, Zuroc," Fa Su replied, "I denounced my aspirations and ambitions, and said they were for naught. Your damage though, was far worse than mine."

"I KNOW," Zuroc roared, "and I'm already feeling the stress it brings."

"I wish you luck, Zuroc," Fa Su replied, "for deeds of that size will be hard to undo. You will most likely have to let people 'kick you while you are down'; let them know you are not doing anything else against the world. It is the answer."

Zakura closed her eyes.

"The suffering that Zuroc went through eventually was enough to convince all but the extremists who kept The Order of the Avatar Slayer alive today," Zakura replied, "the guilt and regret from Zuroc's deeds though was enough to get the sympathy of many."

"Then why; was I never told of this," Zhin asked, "why was my own family's iconic figure left to be remembered as a heartless villain? Even Xin Shing is not placed that low by his enemies."

"Because The Order is corrupted," Zakura replied, "and I am not just saying this for the hopes of my own life being spared. Originally they were for a good cause. Now though they are just ruthless."

"We have mulled that over," said Tu-Sung, "but we are not going to join you. We have other things we will be attending to. You should be on your way. The longer you wait, the more The Order's influence will spread. Once there is no one leading the organization, it will fizzle away into the shadows once again."

And so the group proceeded towards Yang's chamber, leaving Zhin and Tu-Sung behind them. In Yang's chamber, as predicted, was Yang herself.

"I never would have thought that The Avatar Guard would get this far into their journey," she exclaimed as they entered, "and Orzon; Ayumi—it is a pleasant surprise to meet you again."

"Indeed it is," Orzon replied, "it is a pity that we are now on different sides. Katara was right about the fate of The Order."

"Ah," Yang smirked, "so a betrayal scheme was played under my very nose without me noticing? How foolish of me to let it slip by. So come, come; do tell what you seek from me. Surely you wish me to be dead by now; or perhaps are you a little more merciless—would you rather have me go down kicking and screaming?"

"No," Zakura replied, "you wanted a fight, and so you can have it. Do tell though, how many of these warriors would you like to challenge? I'm pretty sure that each and every one of them would like a word with you while I challenge Xin Shing."

"That is the honorable tactic," Yang remarked, "for he will not fight anyone else. I was set here simply to make sure of that. Come though; let us have a brief spar first. I will challenge that waterbender."

She paused, pointing at Kai, "you; you're a Kai Serenes, are you not?"

"Aye," Kai replied stepping confidently forward, "Kai Serenes XLIII is my name. If you wish to challenge me, then I will be glad to oblige."

"Then let there be havoc," Yang cackled, and she suddenly brought up a 'barrier' of air around herself and Kai. It was transparent of course, and so those outside of the ring could easily see what was going on.

Kai Serenes was a young girl of 19, and she was incredibly fast. Yang, a woman of 49 years, was powerful. Both of them though, were almost equally matched, Kai holding the same legendary power and ability that her family was famous for.

The battle of wind and water was in full swing. Yang's blasts were countered by Kai's water, which she was using defensively. Yang was the offensive figure, while Kai played the defensive—or rather, played the one to counter Yang's moves. She was making very few actual attacks of her own, but rather, countering Yang's.

Yang became aware of this, and began throwing projectiles, using sharp blasts of air that almost felt like knives as they whizzed by and evaporated into nothingness. She was also making breathing very difficult for Kai, and this soon became noticeable as Kai fell to her knees, clutching her throat.

Yang's arrogance was her downfall. As Kai struggled for air, she stood above and in front of her.

"It looks like there will not be a Kai Serenes XLIIII," she leered, "for you are about to die in the hands of Yang Shigeru!"

"Not entirely," Kai replied, knocking Yang off balance by spinning around with her feet, "let's continue."

Kai and Yang continued to exchange attacks, Kai's stamina holding up incredibly, while Yang seemed always on edge. Yang was overwhelmingly powerful, but Kai was as well, being a Serenes—a Kai Serenes to be exact, and that may have been one of the reasons she was able to hold up, and, as time passed, start to overwhelm Yang.

Evidence of this was that her air barrier was diminishing, and as Kai pressed her attacks forward in an attempt to corner her, she was eventually able to overpower Yang, leaving her gasping for breath and barely conscious, lying on the ground.

"You may do what you want to me," she hissed, "but The Order will not end here, even if you kill Xin Shing and I."

"We shall see about that, Yang Shigeru," Kai replied, shaking Yang's hand as she slowly stood up, "time will tell."

"Aye," Yang replied, "fate will decide whether you destroy Xin Shing or not, avatar Zakura."

Zakura cracked her knuckles. This was it—Xin Shing was their last enemy, because they had just defeated Lady Yang Shigeru.


	97. Chapter 97: The Warlord and The Avatar

Chapter 97: The Warlord and The Avatar

Zakura proceeded to get to the roof of the tower, where Xin Shing was waiting for her, a malicious smirk on his face. Moreover, like with Zhin and Tu-Sung, Zakura's group feared that their malice was not over yet, despite their seeming conversions.

Needless to say, Zakura's Elite were all a little on edge, considering who this man was. However, this just made him smile.

"There is no need to worry," he said, smirking, "the one I want is in front of you. Once I have her, you all are free to go."

"So," said Koara, "even if you do defeat her, you have no intention of killing any of us, even though we've done everything in our power to oppose you?"

"Of course not, Xin Shing replied, "you must give me at least SOME credit. I am not some maniac who wants the avatar dead for no reason; no, my family has been part of The Order of the Avatar Slayer since its founding over 700 years ago. Zuroc Takeo made herself our mortal enemy. I am simply holding up that tradition. In her anger she declared us her mortal enemies as well. Here, I am going to settle an old score."

"Oh," Zakura exclaimed, "and how is that?"

"It is obvious, is it not?" Xin Shing remarked, "It is why you are here. You and I are going to fight to the death. I have no minions of my own to come to my aid should I falter, and I expect that you hold the same sense of honor to do the same."

"Aye," Zakura replied, "I do not want help in defeating you. Defeat will come to the one of lesser skill. We fight to the death."

"I would not have it any other way," Xin Shing remarked, smiling, and taking an unusual stance, "at your ready, Avatar Zakura."

Xin Shing might have only been an airbender, but he kept Zakura running.

"You know," said Zakura, using airbending of her own to avoid his attacks for the time, "killing me will only give birth to the next avatar in the Fire Nation."

"Ah," Xin Shing laughed, blasting Zakura with a large gust of wind that she barely dodged, "that is where my toy comes in."

He stopped and made a few intricate movements with his fingers, and suddenly, Zakura's eyes glowed. He had done something that forced Zakura into the Avatar State, and the shocked expression on Zakura's face indicated that it had not been her doing.

"Enjoy it," he smirked, as using the raw force of his wind, he shattered the balls of ice, water, fire, rock, earth, and more with his energy, "for trying to exit it will just result in me forcing you into it again. You might as well just enjoy the ride and fight me."

"I will do that then," Zakura replied, removing her hat and setting it behind her back. She took a stance, gritted her teeth and was ready for the battle to continue.

"So why not use some power," Xin Shing asked as he used enough force to blast many of Zakura's attacks into dust, "why not end it now?"

"Because," Zakura replied, "that is my own business. I want less talk and more fighting, personally."

"Very well then," Xin Shing replied, and the real fighting began.

Xin Shing linked three powerful air spheres together, each one hitting Zakura into the next. When they exploded, they formed mini tornadoes that disoriented Zakura a little, but in her avatar state she seemed less fazed. She retaliated with a dashing fire attack and began launching various types of volleys at Xin Shing.

Some of them made their mark, but most of the missed, as it was difficult for either one of them to hit the other. Zakura's walls of earth were smashed by Xin Shing's fierce winds that were enough to rip her limbs off should they come in contact with her. Luckily, even though he was blocking her attacks with general ease, she was doing the same. Ultimately, words failed to describe the incredibility of the fight, and how long it seemed to go on for.

"You're not going to be able to finish me," Zakura replied as she resorted to her native earthbending to block Xin Shing's powerful moves "for I can tell you are not trying."

"Of course I am not trying," Xin Shing laughed, "why would I be trying when my opponent refuses to do the same?"

"Elaborate if you would," Zakura suggested,

"Zakura," Xin Shing laughed, "you're in the avatar state. Nothing more needs to be said, especially if the legends about you are true."

"In that case," said Zakura, smirking, "prepare to feel the wrath of the most powerful avatar to ever walk the earth."

Zakura suddenly spun around and shot upwards in a huge column of water, earth, fire, and air. Even Xin Shing stood there in awe, following Zakura's blazing trail upwards as she flew towards the heavens. What her intentions were, were unknown at this point.

Zakura flew through the orange and red clouds, her head tilted back and her body just firing itself upwards without end. She eventually stopped in the air, and summoned forth a rain of fire.

This "rain of fire" soon became a mix of the four elements, and Zakura entered a freefall as she plummeted back down towards the roof of the tower. As she fell, she manipulated the falling masses of elements, targeting Xin Shing.

Xin Shing though, was not about to just let the attacks hit him, and so mustering up all his strength, he began deflecting them in every direction, mostly just trying to survive.

Zakura suddenly came crashing down, and Xin Shing was knocked into one of the corners of the tower's rooftop, the pinnacle of the tower in that corner being what stopped him. Zakura used airbending to slow her fall, and she landed peacefully. She was able to exit the avatar state without having to worry that he would force her back into it again. She stood over him, looking down at him.

"All this trouble," she said, "over the mere existence of one woman who honestly could have cared less at first. Why did you do it?"

"I already said why I did it," he replied weakly, and he attempted to get up, but it seemed that Zakura's full-force attacks had done him in. "I have no excuse; no defense for why I did it. I told you why, and that should be a good enough answer for you."

"Very well then," Zakura replied, holding out her hand, "that was a magnificent fight. Do you wish to continue it?"

"No, no I do not," Xin Shing replied, "that wound was mortal, avatar. I have failed my mission. You have succeeded."

Zakura paused, crossing her arms.

"Very well, Xin Shing," she replied, "I suppose you are going to make a sudden change of heart and repent before you die then?"

"Not at all," Xin Shing replied, "I have no regrets—none at all. My destiny was to fight the avatar, and I did. No, my only other request is that you tell Yang that I love her. The size of my injury is too great for me to move. I am going to die here."

"Very well then," Zakura replied, chuckling slightly, "if she doesn't try to kill me, I'll tell her."

"Then you better get moving," he laughed, "because this tower is going to come down soon. That is what I am saving my energy for to do before I die. This was a monument to my deeds. With me gone, they no longer need to be remembered. Farewell, Avatar Zakura."

"Run," Zakura warned, and they began their descent down the tower, the stronger, less injured figures carrying the weakened ones. Zakura herself was actually rather hurt. Xin Shing's damage had been delayed if anything, as she was bleeding rather severely, and trying to disregard it. However, they did not have time to worry about it, as their first priority was to get out of the tower before it collapsed.

"He could have been lying, you know," Zinjamyn advised, as he was carrying an exhausted Alzar on his back. Aiku had Shinon, and he was behind Zinjamyn.

"I don't want to take that chance," Zakura replied, "besides, look who it is up ahead of us."

Yang was standing there, looking frustrated.

"Xin Shing said he loved you," Zakura replied bluntly, "and my presence obviously indicated the outcome of the fight."

"Don't say anything else," Yang remarked somberly and she turned herself in. "just... just take me. Don't talk to me."

"That is a reasonable demand," Zakura replied, and no one said anything to Yang the rest of the way down.

Zhin and Tu-Sung had vanished, as had all of the Zuroc Sensei. They were found near the bottom floor, with only a few of them left alive. However, they had saved Zakura's Elite from any further battling, as they had taken care of most of it themselves.

Eventually, they got out of the tower, and everyone was accounted for. Everyone seemed relieved except for Mulan, who seemed depressed.

"What's wrong, kid," Zakura asked, using the old nickname on her that she had when they first met,

"He was in that rabble," she replied gravely, "Ju Long is no more. Regardless of what he has done, he was still my husband."

"I'm sorry," Zakura replied, "but no longer will you have to suffer the pains of this war. It is over. It was brought to a timely ending in the fight between The Warlord and The Avatar."


	98. Chapter 98: The War Was Over

Chapter 98: The War Was Over

Zakura's Elite all looked back at the tower, though it was not falling. There was a moment of silence.

"All of this war," Zakura muttered, though she did so loud enough for everyone else to hear her, "all of this hatred—all caused by one woman's actions over 700 years ago."

"The world is a very strange place," Royota remarked, "It is not our duty to try and decide how Order and Chaos try to balance each other, but rather, to ensure that they stay balanced."

"Xin Shing was just another man," Zakura replied, "he had dreams just like the rest of us. Like Zuroc though, he wanted to take his to an international level, and force them upon us all."

"So," said Azula, changing the subject slightly, "where do we go now? What do we do now that this madness is over? Surely news of Xin Shing's downfall will spread like wildfire."

"he was what kept most of The Order running," Orzon remarked, "without him, they will probably go back into the shadows and into hiding, awaiting the next warlord with enough influence to lead them. The Order of the Avatar Slayer will never fully disappear."

"A good way to analogize it," Katara added, "would be to compare it my chi energy. It is impossible for me to get rid of it, and similarly, it is impossible for me to gain perfect control over it. However, if I try hard enough, I can keep it under control. The Order is the same way."

"That is what I intend to do," Zakura declared, "The world will be restored back to peace, and will be supervised under the avatar's watchful eye. You all though, are going to go down in history as some of the greatest benders in history. I will make sure of it."

"As will we," said Orzon and Ayumi, "and that will be after we finish renounce the objectives of The Order to the Fire Nation."

"And we shall do the same in the Water Tribes," Fukuda and Michiko added, though they were still bound. Zhang and Zhao Lin were both unconscious, but, like the rest of Zakura's family; they were with them as prisoners. Yang was among them as well.

"What about the Earth Kingdom," Iresu asked, "Zhang and Zao Lin will not likely renounce it and declare you the ruler, Zakura."

"But that is her rightful position," Ayumi replied, "she is next in line unless she is killed or decides to turn it over to someone else."

They turned to Iresu, who held up her hands, chuckling.

"Don't look at me," she laughed, "I'm done with that job. If you give it to me, I'm going to make a decree that says that my brother is taking the job—and knowing him, you probably don't want that, Zakura."

"Iresu has a point," Royota laughed, "I'm not the one for the job."

"Then who is?" Zakura asked, "I mean, do you really think that I care about political stuff other than beat them up now and talk later?"

This caused everyone to laugh.

"World leaders travel a lot though," Tenoko remarked, "rest assured you would not be cooped up. Personally, if I was not as sober as I am right now, I would say Zuki and her family were the ones for the job. With her husband at her side, they'd be fine rulers. They're a smart group, and although Zuki doesn't know it, she's influential—very influential, if nothing else, for her looks."

"That could be arranged," Zakura replied, laughing, "Besides, with me watching over them, there shouldn't be any more problems. Aye, there might be Order members who oppose this, but they will soon realize that they are outnumbered and overpowered, and so they will sink back into the shadows until whenever—and I'll be ready for them."

"So what about the Water Tribes and the Fire Nation," Koara asked, "For we have Fukuda and Michiko, as well as Orzon and Ayumi."

"I'm going to be too busy with my children to manage the Water Tribes," Tenoko replied, "though I would like to be honorably mentioned, should Michiko and Fukuda resume their positions there."

"Surely we do not deserve to be reinstated," Michiko replied, "we've done the crime; we have to pay the time. Justice demands it."

"And I AM the order of justice," said Zakura, crossing her arms, "and I am officially clearing you of all charges. I will ensure it. As for Orzon and Ayumi, unless Zeruda has an objection, they'd be great where they were, especially now that Ayumi isn't running the Fire Nation using fear and manipulation anymore, is I right?"

"Shut up," Ayumi snapped, turning red, though she was smiling, "I changed, alright? You don't need to remind me of my flaws."

"Flaws," Zakura laughed, "everyone's got them, Ayumi. I'm no exception. Alzar Miyamoto would know what I mean."

"Hey," Alzar snapped, "leave me out of this, unless you're going to get us all fixed up. Keep in mind that half of us are nearly dead and we're still standing outside of Xin Shing's tower."

"Then let's move out," Zakura declared, "we're going home."

And they did. It only took them about 2 or 3 weeks to get everything sorted out. True to Zakura's expectations, anyone loyal to The Order kept it hidden and/or disappeared, though the disappearances were their own; Zakura was not that cruel.

Zhang, Zao Lin, and Yang were all imprisoned, and none of them said anything when this happened. Zakura visited them often just to talk with them, but they did not change their ways just yet. Regardless, they could not bend where they were at, and this was what kept them from escaping. They seemed more upset than mad—upset because their side had lost.

During this time though, the group that had formed out of originally normal people, was still together. It was going to be hard for them to go their separate ways, and it was unlikely that they would not again at one time reunite for old times' sake.

Everyone eventually fully recovered, though many of them bore battle scars from the battles in Xin Shing's tower. The most prominent scar were the huge gashes that ran across little Altina's face; one that ran across her forehead, and the other that had left a large cut on her right cheek. Lehran was agitated by that, but all in all, Altina seemed content with her situation that life had given her, and the cuts, which healed fully, only leaving the scars, healed completely.

"So," said Zeruda to Zakura during a typical Avatar Guard down time, "this is it—the end of our little group, huh?"

"End," Zakura exclaimed, "not if I can help it. Besides, we've got several new faces if I recall, am I right? I don't recall certain folks being here when we headed down towards the tower."

"That's true," Zeruda replied, "and over the last month of repairing, a lot has been done, and friendships have formed that can never break. The new faces to this group helped a lot as well."

"Aye," Zakura remarked, "Orzon Zhaoka, Ayumi Zhaoka, Michiko Yao, Fukuda Yao, Kai Serenes XLIII, Zuko Altina, Katara Altina II, Azula Caroso, and the rest of Tenoko's group—they've been a pleasant addition. It's almost sad that we no longer have any objectives."

"There's a fine balance between Order and Chaos, Zakura," Iresu advised, "and it gets thrown off a lot. Believe me, this won't be the last war we see. Give it 20 years or so."

"20 years," Zakura exclaimed, "I'll be old like you all by then."

"Hey," Tenoko laughed, "I'm not old. Koara is old. Royota might be considered old. Sorry, but in my books, 43 is not old. As long as I'm able to pack a wallop to my enemies with waterbending, I'm not old."

"Koara is 93," Zeruda remarked, "and she still beats people up with her bending prowess, Tenoko. Face it: we are getting old."

"You two are old," Tenoko replied, "44 will be the limit. In a few months when my birthday approaches, 45 will be the cut-off; then 46; do you see the pattern yet?"

"Tenoko," said Zakura, hitting her arm, "face it—she's right. You are getting old. Who ever said though, that old people don't rock out loud as well? You don't think that some of those avatars that lived to be 200 and up weren't kick-butt in their later years, do you?"

"True," Tenoko replied, "fine then—I'm old, but I still rock."

Iresu, Zeruda, and Zakura all laughed.

"Very well then, Tenoko," Zakura replied, "very well; either way, I'm glad that things have settled down a bit. All of that violence may have kept us busy, but all in all, the effects are never very pleasant. I still feel really bad for Mulan."

"At least she got her baby back," Tenoko remarked, "losing her husband and children would have hurt a lot. I would know."

"You have our sympathies, Tenoko," the others replied [this 'talk' was only between Zakura, Iresu, Zeruda, and Tenoko], "and we are glad that you found your Kemet and Komae again."

"Maric and Malak are their names now," Tenoko replied, "to try and get them to change back to their original names, especially after nearly 15 years of it, would not be a very good birthday present."

Maric and Malak had both celebrated their 15th birthday only a few days before this date. Ultimately, there was a large-scale celebration among Zakura's Elite, because everyone was happy that the war was finally over after so much trouble. It was truly a glorious truth, and an even greater statement: The War Was Over.


	99. Chapter 99: The Eight Warriors

Chapter 99: The Eight Warriors

Eventually though, the group did part ways so that everyone could continue with their normal lives. However, they would get together often, and if they were not all able to be there, they would see each other in their travels a lot, for none of them could ever stay in one place, not even Orzon and Ayumi.

Great temples were erected in every major city in each Nation, all of them with the same purpose—to honor the legendary heroes who had changed the course of the world and had saved it from oppression. The names of these heroes—Kimiko Nagishima, Cheng Alesha, Lehran Serenes, Altina Serenes, Koara Lombardi, Mulan Kumani, Zakura Ishiko, Royota Fenyk, Taki Masahiro, Orzon Zhaoka, Ayumi Zhaoka, Iresu Fenyk, Zeruda Mezkiel, Alzar Miyamoto, Shinon Iwata, Aiku Tadashi, Zinjamyn Sakurai, Tenoko Dragmire, Sanaki Foxx, Reyson Mezkiel, Meili Meisha, Maric Dragmire, Malak Dragmire, Vigo Zakatau, Azula Caroso, Sokka Altina, Katara Altina I, Zuko Altina, Kai Serenes XLIII, Michiko Yao, Fukuda Yao, Zuki Meisha, Katara Altina II, and the late Ryuka Satoru—were remembered for thousands of years to come.

Kimiko periodically paid visits to the prison site where her life had changed forever in more ways than one. Occasionally, Cheng would be with her, but for the most part, this was personal business. She still mourned over her dead family, but she knew that there was no way of bringing them back, and she did not dwell upon it.

Kimiko also became much less shy than she used to be, and she no longer shied away when people looked at her scar. She also actually would talk to people about it when they asked her. Less than a year after the Avatar War, as it came to be known as [and the heroes, good and evil, became known as "The Avatar Warriors"], she became Kimiko Serenes, after she and Lehran married.

Their eldest two children were daughters, the eldest a waterbender, and the next a firebender. They also had two sons, both of whom were waterbenders, and the baby was a firebending son. They bore the same rugged appearance as their father, and the stubbornness and persistence of their mother. The scar on their mother's face became an icon of sorts—something they all wanted to aspire to—something such as "I want to be as brave as mommy was". So far, they are succeeding.

Cheng occasionally went with Kimiko to the prison site, as it was him meeting her that caused him to have his change of heart. He would also occasionally visit his parents, both of whom were safe at the Southern Water Tribe. He took Taki with him for that, and they grew fond of her as well; and they loved their grandchildren.

A few months after the Avatar War had ended, Taki gave birth to a healthy set of twins—a male firebender and a female earthbender. Their appearances were so much like their father and mother respectively, that they were named after their parents, thus giving rise to the names Cheng Alesha I & II, and Taki Alesha I & II. Cheng II turned out to be almost exactly like his father, and Taki II turned out almost exactly like her mother. There were several inside jokes made about these two by their parents as they grew up, but all in all, there were no family quarrels. They also enjoyed their younger siblings, as the Alesha family, in a 17-year period, had a total of 8 children.

Lehran returned to his village to ensure that everything was alright, and after marrying Kimiko, they never really found a place to settle down except the Northern Water Tribe, in a town near the Serenes Village. Needless to say, he accompanied Kimiko during her annual travel to the prison where her life had changed, as Lehran's place of residence was very close to where he had been introduced to The Avatar Guard by Koara Lombardi. They met a lot as well, as Koara would often pay them some visits.

Lehran was an amazing father, just like Kimiko was an amazing mother. Many of the Serenes Waterbenders would visit them though, because they grew fond of his young family. Lehran did find his mother and father upon his return, but Altina by that time didn't want to be away from Lehran, and so Lehran kept her, though he visited his parents often enough that it wasn't a big deal.

Little Altina grew up to be a fine young Serenes Waterbender. Like her older brother, she never stayed put, and she traveled the world as well. The scars on her face only added to the traditional deceptive appearance that most Serenes Waterbenders had—they looked tough and rugged, but on the inside, they were quiet and gentle. Altina grew up to be no exception to this principle. She was well-liked, especially because she was not as shy as Lehran had been when he was her current age. She was an outgoing young lady, and she made many friends. She viewed Lehran as her father almost.

Altina had a few emotional problems as she was growing up, but it was nothing that Lehran and Kimiko could not solve. The scars on her face did sometimes hurt, but not often enough to become a disturbance. She became famous for being the baby that went to war, being only 2 years old during the majority of The Avatar War.

Koara Lombardi traveled a lot, mostly between the two Water Tribes, though she settled in the Southern Water Tribe. 17 years after the war, when the next event related to said war occurred, she was still alive, being 110 years old, and still hale. Many jokes were made about her age, but Koara's positive attitude only caused her to laugh with them as well. She was a popular in the Southern Water Tribe, often telling some of the younger warriors, hunters, and tribes-people in general some of the stories of her long life, all of which were interesting.

Koara once claimed that she was going to die during one of her stunts, especially at her age. However, even at 110, she is still continuing her stunts, and is still not dead. She sees death as merely the way to see her husband again, but she also enjoys life, and knows that people would be sad if she died, and so she put her life in fate's hands, deciding to let it decide when it wanted to take her.

Mulan immediately went to the Eastern Air Temple after the war was over, mainly to check on her child, who she named Nikita Zakura Kumani. Despite Ju Long's death, she still retained the name, for, despite his betrayal, she had still loved him. From there, she mostly spent her time around the air temples, but occasionally dropped by Fengtai or Ba sing Se to see how Zakura fared. She also became acquainted with Yang while Yang was in prison, and Mulan was one of the few people that she would talk to.

Mulan raised Nikita by herself, never remarrying. There were certain scars that she could not heal, and Ju Long's betrayal was one of them. When Nikita grew old enough, Mulan told her the heartbreaking tale of how Ju Long had threatened her life, and how bad she felt after they had broken apart from each other. Nikita grew into a skilled airbender and a very mature young woman. She was proud of her middle name.

Royota often visited the palace, but all in all, he had retired, even front eh military. However, he claimed to be on "active reserve" along with the rest of Zakura's Elite, should anything bad happen or should The Order again try to rise as a group of extremists. He settled down in Ba Sing Se with his sister Iresu. However, they too traveled around a lot, as the world was a very fun place to travel around, especially during times of peace, and knowing that it was being supervised under Zakura's reign—the avatar's watchful eye.

Royota did not just sit around and nothing though. He became sage in various Earth Kingdom temples, advising young military officers and seasoned ones alike. We was well-known throughout the military of the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, and Fire Nation [since the Air nomads still had no formal military; though there were a few soldiers, many of which knew Royota Fenyk]

Taki followed her "Cheng-Cheng" nearly wherever he went, though when he went to Kimiko's prison site, she usually went to Kyoshi Island or to the arena where she had first met Royota and her life had changed. She also trained her children, namely, Cheng II and Taki II, how to be good combatants, and then let them enter into arena matches, which were supervised by Zakura's watchful eye.

Taki had indeed been pregnant during the course of battle at the tower, but luckily, her twins had been strong and healthy. Taki did sometimes become emotional when Cheng would take them to visit his parents, as it reminded her of her parents and siblings, all of whom were dead. Nevertheless, she enjoyed the company of Cheng's parents as they were very friendly and fond of Taki as well. Taki's bloodlust died down slightly, but it still existed as one of her "flaws", but that did not deter Cheng at all. Their love was too strong to let mediocre things like that affect it, and they lived happily together for the rest of their days.

All in all, the world became a better place once the war was over, and so far this stood true. These are only the stories of the original figures to join "The Avatar Guard".

"To think," Said Taki to the others, "that before this we were all just normal people; now we're legends—every one of us."

"Aye," Koara replied, "now we've even got our own title for this little group of us—we are known as The Eight Warriors."


	100. Chapter 100: The World Leaders

Chapter 100: The World Leaders

"The Eight Warriors", as they were called, were simply the name given to Kimiko, Cheng, Lehran, Koara, Mulan, Royota, Taki, and Altina, because these were the 8 figures who joined the Avatar guard at nearly the same time, thus the reason they were grouped together. Nevertheless, The Avatar Guard, or Zakura's Elite, as they later became known as, were all united. Many of the others had happy endings as well.

Alzar proceeded to be a firebending legend. Although there were many firebenders who were more intricate than her or more powerful than her as well, none could ever match her combined levels of power and intricacy, her tricky moves puzzling many. She remained as part of the group known as "The Four Benders" and became a world-class firebending teacher. Despite her intelligence, skill, and good looks, Alzar never married, but instead spent her time passing on her legacy to her students as the best firebending teacher in the world.

Shinon proceeded to be a waterbending legend. Although there were many waterbenders who were more intricate than him or more powerful than him as well, none could ever match his combined levels of power and intricacy, his tricky moves puzzling many. He remained as part of the group known as "The Four Benders" and became a world-class waterbending teacher. Despite his intelligence, skill, and good looks, Shinon never married, but instead spent his time passing on his legacy to his students as the best waterbending teacher in the world.

Aiku proceeded to be an airbending legend. Although there were many airbenders who were more intricate than him or more powerful than him as well, none could ever match his combined levels of power and intricacy, his tricky moves puzzling many. He remained as part of the group known as "The Four Benders" and became a world-class airbending teacher. Despite his intelligence, skill, and good looks, Aiku never married, but instead spent his time passing on his legacy to his students as the best airbending teacher in the world.

Zinjamyn proceeded to be an earthbending legend. Although there were many earthbenders who were more intricate than him or more powerful than him as well, none could ever match his combined levels of power and intricacy, his tricky moves puzzling many. He remained as part of the group known as "The Four Benders" and became a world-class earthbending teacher. Despite his intelligence, skill, and good looks, Zinjamyn never married, but instead spent his time passing on his legacy to his students as the best earthbending teacher in the world.

The lives of these four benders were deeply intertwined, and so their fates were all very much alike, since they were almost inseparable.

Zeruda, who refused to take her rightful place as the ruler of the Fire Nation, abdicated as planned, handing the position over to Orzon and Ayumi. With the other two members of what was once known as The Avatar Guard Secret Service, she traveled the world, making sure that everything stayed in check. She was the enforcer of the group, but Iresu and Tenoko helped when necessary.

Zeruda did pay numerous visits to the Fire Nation when Orzon and Ayumi ruled it, and served sort of as a sage and an advisor. She was always willing to share her vast wisdom with anyone who wanted a part of it.

Iresu did a lot of traveling as well, for like Zeruda; she did not take her position as a world leader back, handing it over to Zuki Meisha and her family, who ruled it surprisingly well. As with Zeruda and Tenoko, there were occasional times when she too would mourn the losses of her family, but also like the others, she stayed strong, and was usually the one to keep the 'harmony' when Zeruda got after Tenoko for pulling some stupid witty joke or the likes.

Iresu visited the Earth Kingdom frequently as well, although with the help of her husband and children, Zuki ruled it well. Half of the time she did not understand what was going on, but that was what her husband was for. Either way, Iresu was usually there, and Zuki always livened up the place, for her smile was contagious.

Tenoko, though against the will of the public [primarily the Water Tribes,] did not resume her old post as Water Chief, but instead trusted it to Fukuda and Michiko. Both of them, though rugged and slightly sinister in appearance, held the same Water Chief deception that many of the Water Tribe leaders had held before them [The Serenes Family was the same way]: their actions were much different than their looks.

Tenoko did spend some time with her children, but they being almost 15 by the time they met again proper [as shown in the story; and having turned 15 just after the war], a few years later they were off on their own. Nonetheless, this never stopped them from meeting.

Tu-Sung and Zhin eventually turned themselves in, realizing that running from the truth would do them no good. What they did in prison though, was a mystery. They did not seem too hurt about The Order's disappearance, but rather, that whatever they had been planning had apparently not turned out right. Unlike Zhang and Zao Lin, they were sociable while imprisoned, and therefore were much more likely to be forgiven by the law sooner than later.

Yang was very bitter, if anything for the loss of her husband. The one thing that kept her from going insane was her knowing that Zakura had given him an honorable goodbye. She and Zakura had a brief moment alone, where Zakura told her what Xin Shing had asked her to. Yang broke down crying. That was the last thing Zakura said to her, as from then on she shut herself off from the others while in prison. However, Zakura, in her forgiving nature, would still visit her.

Zhang and Zao Lin were also very bitter, as well as Kyomi and Kaoru. Zakura, however, had forgiven them, and although they still hated her, she often visited them to ensure them that despite their hatred for her, and a similar dislike on her part, that deep down, she loved them, and knew that somewhere, they had to feel the same way. They never responded, and always turned away when she came. Nonetheless, Zakura did not give up on them just yet. After all, they were her family.

Orzon and Ayumi resumed their rule of the Fire Nation, though instead of ruling it with Xin Shing's iron fist, they ruled it in such a way that brought it, and many parts of the rest of the world, into a new age of prosperity. They became very well-loved, especially by Katara Altina II, who by that point viewed them as her grandparents. Zeruda would show up periodically as well to talk with them, and all in all, she had no regrets of giving her title to them.

Fukuda and Michiko also resumed their rule of their respective nation—the Water Tribes. Similar to Orzon and Ayumi, they changed their old ways, and so instead of giving the Water Tribes a mysterious and dark reputation, they too brought them into a new age of prosperity. They became popular as well, a lot of it due in part to Tenoko's huge support of them, as Tenoko's popularity had always been a big thing.

Zuki was given the title of queen of the Earth Kingdom by Iresu, who refused the position after the war. She knew nothing of politics of course, but her husband was the one to catch on. Moreover, many of her old friends from The Avatar Guard were there when she needed them, [and when Cho Ling, Zuki's husband, was not], and so despite being all but clueless, Zuki's innocence and charm were actually very influential aspects of the woman, and her power was legendary.

Zuki's happiness spread all throughout the Earth Kingdom like wildfire. Her laugh was contagious and her innocence charmed many. It actually led the Earth Kingdom also into an age of prosperity, and so all in all, the world was for the most part at peace.

"so what has become of the Air Nation," Zeruda asked Ling, the Head Monk of the Northern Air Temple, who was ultimately the Head Monk of the entire Air Nation as a whole.

"Aye," Tenoko added, "how did they fare what with all this war?"

"We too have prospered," Ling replied, "we of course stayed a lot out of it, as you and everyone else know, and with the exception of some casualties of the Air Nomads who wished to fight for the world, we did not suffer damages."

"So why did you remain neutral," Iresu asked, "wasn't this war a war fought for the sake of the world and the avatar?"

"Aye, it was," Ling replied, "but even though some of our traditions have changed, we are still not fighters. It is not a tradition, which is why there were some airbenders who went out to fight. Rather, it is just the peaceful nature of an Air Nomad that prevented it. Despite our 'neutrality', we always supported The Avatar Guard in the ways we could, and many of the armies could testify of it."

"We do not doubt it," Iresu remarked, "We just finally get to ask you this now that we can slow down because the war is over."

Ling smiled, and Tenoko, Zeruda, and Iresu returned it. He was right—the war really was over, and the times of peace that were to follow looked to be [and did end up being] times of prosperity. The Four Benders included, these were simply the fates of The World Leaders.


	101. Chapter 101: The Prodigy Warriors

Chapter 101: The Prodigy Warriors

The times of prosperity that followed also improved the lives of the younger Avatar Warriors, who were given just as much honor as the prominent figures like Zakura, The Four Benders, and the world leaders. They were all prodigious children, and they too were hailed as legends.

Vigo followed Meili around a lot, showing increasing interest in her. The two of them flirted as they got older, and their arrogant natures made them both play "Hard-to-get". Ultimately though, Vigo found him self bending to Meili's will most of the time, as her stubbornness was unmatched. One thing that other people did notice about him was that he talked much, much more often than he used to, despite his low voice.

Vigo became a powerful earthbending master, and after a few years had passed, he actually had the guts to get straight to the palace to ask Meili's parents for Meili's hand in marriage. This permission was granted, though ironically, Meili, 20 at the time of his proposal, slapped him for not asking her earlier. Vigo then reminded her that she was a year older than him, but neither one of them cared about that. They grew up happily together, and had many children of their own.

Sanaki visited her family a lot, and they always loved to see her. She was always one to strongly defend her family, her small frame and her blindness usually throwing people off. However, she was the little prodigy of the family, and was always there without fail to keep the peace. She was known worldwide for this peace-keeping tactic of hers, because she had various ways of keeping people in line without involving violence. She proved to be very effective.

Sanaki also got involved in a love life a few months after the war, her subject of interest being Maric Dragmire. The two of them began talking more and more often, and eventually their talking turned to flirting, and their friendship eventually led the two of them to get married. Needless to say, neither one of them was ever content with them ever staying in one place; so they traveled around a lot. Sanaki herself became a master firebending teacher, just like her ancient namesake, Sanaki Li Chan, had done over 1300 years ago.

Reyson married Malak as soon as the two of them grew old enough to do so. Needless to say, no one opposed this. It was unknown if he planned on taking the throne of the Fire Nation later on in his life, but Reyson's reasons for this were personal. Besides, Orzon and Ayumi were doing a good job as it was. Malak became less shy, and Reyson became very good with words, much like Tenoko Dragmire. He became a very influential figure, also because of his prodigious firebending skills.

Reyson never settled down either, for, like Malak, he learned to like to go places, and also liked checking up son some of his old friends, such as Vigo, Meili, Sanaki, and Maric, since the six of them had bonded pretty well during their time together [though the story doesn't really show this, as it mostly focused on the war]. Like the rest of the Avatar Warriors, Reyson's fame spread worldwide as well. However, when it all boiled down, Reyson was still very fond of his mother, and spent a lot of time with her before he was old enough to marry.

Meili took a fancy for Vigo, and the two of them eventually married. Occasionally, Meili found herself wondering what Vigo's face looked like, as, being blind, she had no idea what his face, or hers for that matter; looked like. Regardless, Vigo said that if she turned ugly, he would let her know. The two of them had an interesting relationship because of their clashing egos, but deep down of course, they were truly fond of each other regardless of who "won".

Meili's wicked sense of humor earned her a distinct reputation similar to that of Tenoko, and she became very popular as well. It was uncertain if Meili was going to take the throne of the Earth Kingdom after Zuki's reign, for she was actually doing a good job. Meili seemed more interested in the arena matches that Zakura hosted around the world, because everyone thought they were an interesting event, especially when one of the Avatar Warriors showed up for a challenge. All in all though, Meili's life continued to be a happy one.

Maric continued to watch over her sister until they "finished growing up". They also spent a lot of time with their mother, Tenoko. Over time, both of the twins, particularly Malak, picked up a little of Tenoko's humor; though ironically, if any of those prodigies had it the most, it was most likely Meili Meisha. Regardless, Maric became very popular, not only for his feats in the war, but also because of his heritage.

Maric eventually fell in love with Sanaki Foxx, as over time, the two of them sensed a relationship forming between the two of them, and they decided to work off of it and build it up. They grew very fond of each other, and a few years down the road, they married. Despite their age difference, Maric was still taller than Sanaki, for Sanaki was always a tiny young lady. It was unknown if Maric planned on taking the throne of the Water Tribes. Besides, Michiko and Fukuda were doing well enough as it stood. Either way, he wound up happy, and he and Sanaki wound up having several children of their own.

Malak's fondness of Reyson continued until the two of them were married. She grew up into a beautiful young lady, and like her brother, she became very popular. She learned to enjoy socializing, particularly with her fellow Avatar Warriors, who actually met a lot because of the strong bonds of friendship that had formed while the group was together. As she grew older though, Malak was known for her gentleness and kindness. She and Reyson gave birth to several healthy children, and moreover, had a happy family.

Malak also found herself wondering about her family, particularly who her father was. However, having remembered the anguish it caused her mother to bring it up, she decided that fate knew what had happened, and that she should be content with that for the time begin. Besides, Tenoko was getting older, and Malak agreed that she should be happy as she usually was in her older years. Regardless, there was a strong mother-and-child bond between her and Tenoko, and this same bond also extended to her twin brother, Maric, as well.

As time passed, their children grew older and befriended some of the other skilled benders around. None were as prodigious as The Prodigy Warriors, as Vigo, Meili, Reyson, Sanaki, Maric, and Malak came to be known as, but many of them were very skilled. It turned out that Iresu had also had a couple of children, and Iresu's grandchildren befriended the children of The Prodigy Warriors.

Moreover, Orzon and Ayumi had not lived nearly 50 years without having children, and so by the time The Prodigy Warriors were having children, Orzon and Ayumi were having grandchildren. All in all, the young benders became all good friends, and under Zakura's watchful eye, many of them entered into tournaments to increase their skills. Bending as an all-around art became much more common, and the average skill level of a person was much, much higher than it was 1300 years ago. Those that were called "masters" back then were around what was an intermediate level in modern times.

"To think that we've come so far," Reyson remarked to his comrades later on in time; the six of them were at the Eastern Air Temple for the time being, looking over at the sunset.

"Aye," Malak replied, "it was only a few years ago that we were all just random children at the right place at the right time. Now look at where we're at—there are statues of us everywhere."

"No need to remind me," Meili laughed, leaning against a large statue of her self, "I know I'm the most awesome person ever to live."

She beamed, and the statue's face had Meili's trademark smirk on it as well. On it was a plaque that read: "Meili Meisha; 17; earthbending master. Avatar Warrior: one of the greatest legends to ever live."

There were similar plaques on every statue of every warrior; which gave their name, age during the war, and bending ability. All of them though, were labeled with the phrase "Avatar Warrior: one of the greatest legends to ever live."

"Wipe that smirk off your mug," Vigo laughed, forming fists; "I'll challenge you, woman, to a duel."

"Whoa now," said Sanaki, jumping between them, fireballs on her hands. "No fighting in the air temples—you two know that. Have at least some respect for the Air Nomad's love of peace, for spirit's sakes"

"Fine," Vigo grunted, "you'll get away this time, Meili Meisha." [This incident had been before Meili and Vigo had married; about 2½ years after the war had ended]

"Wouldn't you know it," Maric chuckled, "we've hardly changed after the war ended. It just seems we've become more and more... individual."

"Aye," Reyson replied, "well, and the fact that we're apparently famous."

"Aye," Maric remarked, "but it is not fame that makes a hero, but rather, the deeds themselves."

"Precisely," Malak replied, "aye, we might have been bending prodigies, but it was the fact that we got dragged into the war and we were willing to stick it to the end that we became famous. It is not something to take for granted, and I would not settle for it."

"Amen," Meili replied, "I mean, we have a reputation to keep up nowadays. We are The Prodigy Warriors."


	102. Chapter 102: Avatar Zakura Ishiko

Chapter 102: Avatar Zakura Ishiko

"That is an incredible sight," Katara remarked, staring up at the comet as it blazed past them. She was still in her father's arms and they were still just outside the tower, surrounded by their friends. Katara was very hot and uncomfortable, but the fact that her power wasn't consuming her meant that her body was controlling it better than she had expected it to.

"Aye," Zuko replied, "it really is. What is even better is that fact that my little girl is still alive and safe in my arms."

"I couldn't ask for anything more," Katara sighed happily, "For with you back, my life is complete. I would have been able to die happy."

"But you're not going to die," Zuko replied, "you're going to live a happy life with the rest of your family."

And the Altina Family did live a happy life together.

Zuko, now reunited with his wife and children, vowed to improve his defensive skills so that he could ensure that no harm came upon them. He paid special attention to Katara II, who, with her unstable teenage emotions and her still growing body, was still dangerous. He spent a lot of his time training with her, ensuring that she gained as much control over her power as she could. With him back, also, Katara I no longer stressed as much, and Katara II's maturity also added to the situation.

Zuko ended up settling back down in the Southern Water Tribe as he grew older. Despite some of the terrible memories he too had had there, the good memories that spawned there afterwards ended up trumping the bad ones in the long run, and so altogether, he was happy. He would often pay visits to Kai Serenes XLIII, who would also repay the visits.

Katara I, now united with her husband and children again, no longer was in danger of stressing herself to death. With Zuko there to comfort her, and with her daughter having matured, there was nothing for her to stress about. She too lived peacefully in the Southern Water Tribe with her husband, and many happy memories were created to replace the ones that they were unable to have in earlier years.

Katara I had also been wanted on several charges during The Order's reign, and these of course, were all cleared with Zakura in authority. When all was said and done, Katara became a very cheerful woman—not ditzy, but happy; much like her daughter. Sokka' wedding day was a proud moment for her, especially because Katara I and Sokka shared a bond much like Zuko and Katara II did.

Sokka spent a lot of his time in the Earth Kingdom when for some reason he was away from his family. Those times apart though, he was with them. He eventually found a woman that he grew fond of, and a few years later, he married this woman, whose name was Karly. She was a high-class Earth Kingdom woman, but she never minded when Sokka wished to visit his family again. They both enjoyed traveling a lot though, and so they moved around a considerable amount.

Sokka also took this time to talk with his sister—to make everything up to her, and she enjoyed his presence. She was generally happy when any of her family members were around her, and they too enjoyed her being back without trying to kill them. Sokka left everything he had that was related to the military behind him, and devoted his time to his wife and family, which soon also involved children of his own.

Katara II remained as mature as she was during the war, and spent a lot of her time gaining control over her insane amounts of energy. With her father back, she claimed her life was complete, and she spent as much time with her family as possible. She also enjoyed traveling though, and since she had been almost around the whole world during the 3-year period between her 13th and 16th years, she visited a lot of places where memories had been made. She grew to be a very beautiful woman, but she generally preferred to be alone. The only company she liked was the company of her family or the company of The Avatar Warriors.

Katara II was still single at age 32, despite her looks. She just never took a fancy for anyone. Rafai, her old boyfriend, had disappeared again, but as a Zuroc Sensei, that was what they did. They occasionally saw each other, and were still good friends, but neither one thought they would be able to handle that at the time, and so, even 17 years after the fact, Katara II was still single. Nevertheless, she did enjoy her nieces and nephews that came from Sokka's family, and also was on good terms with Sokka's wife, Karly. Regardless of what people said though, she just didn't really feel motivated to marry.

Kai continued to travel the world, often checking in on Zuko and his family. She also paid visits to Lehran, Altina, and Kimiko [for Altina lived with Lehran and Kimiko], and often visited the Serenes village as well, as that was her place of residence. Nonetheless, like all Serenes Waterbenders, she usually kept to herself and/or wandered the world in calm serenity. She was loved by all who met her, as her gentle personality, her selflessness, and her dislike of doing anything that others did not like made her a very likable person.

Kai eventually found man that suited her interests. The most surprising thing about this man was that he bore the unlikely name of Zihark—or rather, he did after they married. Before that, he had been a commoner living on the streets that technically did not have a name. He had, however, heard many good things about the Serenes Family, and did know that there had been several women named Kai Serenes that had married men named Zihark [at least 5 of the 43 Kais had done this].

Azula, as a Zuroc Sensei, again disappeared. However, occasionally Tenoko would disappear again, and it was assumed that every time Tenoko vanished, that "The Blazing Phoenix" had set sail. However, when not busy with her business, Azula also traveled the world, paying visits in particular to Katara II, Maric, Malak, Tenoko, Orzon, and Ayumi. She was one of the first to break the black reputation that was on the name 'Azula', and she too became well-liked in society.

Azula also had a competitive side, and she was seen a lot in Zakura's tournaments. She was well-known for her remarkable skills, and it did not take long for her to become a renowned champion. However, contrary to what people thought someone with the name Azula would do, Azula Caroso was more humble and down-to-earth instead of arrogant. She never wallowed in her victories, but rather, accepted them honorably and with grace—the same way she accepted defeat.

So what did Zakura do after all of this mess was over?

Zakura's first order of business after Xin Shing's defeat was to squelch anyone who was trying to disrupt the peace. Needless to say, with power like hers, it did not take long for people to either "repent", to use the term, or to disappear into the shadows of their own accord. She was also there during the declarations which put the Yao, Meisha, and Zhaoka families on the thrones of the Water, Earth, and Fire Nations respectively. She also began to take her position as avatar a little more seriously, but not TOO serious.

Zakura also started international bending tournaments, which, throughout history, became known as "The Zakura Tournaments", in her honor. Preliminaries and elimination rounds were usually done in less formal settings, but for larger-scale events such as semi-finals, finals, and the Grand Final, Zakura herself was usually there to supervise the match. These tournaments, hosted under the avatar's watchful eye, became popular for years and years to come.

Zakura's love life though, was an interesting story. During one of the tournaments, there was a powerful man who took Zakura's fancy. After a little post-tournament talking, the two became friends. She didn't say anything to anyone, but the avatar's secret crush did not last long—or rather, the 'secret' part, didn't.

Haroku, the name of the man whom Zakura loved, was caught making out with her behind the scenes of the tournament. Needless to say, the story exploded, and Zakura was never left alone for it, especially since she would always poke at lovers to get them to confess that they loved each other. Of course, Zakura admitted it right away that she was fond of Haroku, and Haroku, who shared the same style of personality as Zakura, also only encouraged the story.

"Why would I try to hide it," he laughed, flexing; he and Zakura were not likely people anyone would want to get in a fistfight with, as their arms were as big as some people's legs; "I've got a crush on the avatar, for crying out loud."

"And that makes you the luckiest man alive," Zakura laughed, hitting him hard. Like Zakura though, Haroku did not even flinch; "because the avatar loves you back."

The only thing ironic about their relationship was that it had taken Zakura that long to find someone. That aside though, their relationship went smoothly, except when they tried to make each other feel awkward, which, with egos like theirs, never worked. The story though was everywhere, and people tried to embarrass them about it.

"Good luck with that," Zakura laughed, "you'll need it." her next action locking lips with him in front of a huge crowd.

"That's Zakura alright," Azula, who was also in the crowd, chuckled, "that is definitely Avatar Zakura Ishiko."


End file.
